Tabula Rasa
by Rivyn Daniel
Summary: Trapped and left to live out the rest of her life in the form she hates, Ranma finds herself at the crux of a crossroads and forced to face the mistakes she's made and decisions that will shape the rest of her life... but even she couldn't have forseen where this will take her... Please R&R Warning: may contain strong language at times
1. Chapter 1: Goodbye Forever?

19

A/N: _This is the first Ranma fic I've written and I've had this idea in my head for a long time but it was only recently that I felt the need to write it. I would really appreciate feed back if any and I don't mind constructive critism, however, and this is for all the flamers out there –_

_IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT, DON'T BITCH TO ME ABOUT IT!_

_I'm not forcing you to read it._

_That being said, lets get the show on the road_

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Chapter 1

_Goodbye__…__! Forever?_

A draft washed through the attic, picking up old dust that swirled about before slowly making its journey back to the floor once more. The room was dark, and boxes of old memories were scattered about in an orderly fashion, some over packed, some left open from the last time someone had rifled through them carelessly. Old formal clothing was sealed up in plastic coverings to protect them from the dust and hung from the walls or draped over other stacks of boxes. As with most attics, there was an eeriness about it that defied rational explanation, like it was saturated with echoes of the past that persisted into the present and would continue to do so into the future.

Thin rays of light pierced small pin sized holes in the ceiling, casting a parade of shadows across the floor and walls, as if a strange old world just beyond the sight of humans had awoken to play, but one that seemed so immaterial that it could vanish in the blink of an eye.

The small form huddled in a dark corner, knees drawn to an expansive chest and slim delicate, but powerful arms wrapped about a pair of similar legs. Even in the darkness the mass of red hair was unmistakable. The pair of, once sparkling deep blue eyes filled with energy and wondered stared dead and vacant at the floor in front of her feet. She said not a word, just stared. She barely even seemed to notice the plate of sandwiches and glass of water off to the side. Their was a hollowness about her, even as the darkness seemed to gather about her, as if giving form to the despair and bitterness she felt.

She had been crying at one point, her eyes painfully bloodshot with dark shadows beneath them. Her body was starting to lose some of its mass, and her clothes were filthy.

But what did it matter, she wondered, sighing deeply.

Never once did her tired eyes leave the wakizashi she'd found in an old chest. Its gleaming blade now seeming to offer tantalizing options as it lay in front of her feet.

An escape.

Could she? Would she? It was her right wasn't it?

But even as she gave it serious consideration she knew she didn't have the strength to do it. She didn't have the will to go through with it.

With a heart wrenching screech that could have woke the dead, she sent the blade scattering across the floor and crashing into the boxes on the other side of the room. Tears started to stream down her face once more. Her fists pounded into the floor boards, unfocused and with no real effort behind them, but even still the hard wood broke the skin across her knuckles. Trickles of crimson flowed between her fingers and a need she couldn't identify gripped her heart, and made it hard to breath

She doubled over, hugging herself as her body trembled uncontrollably, soft but powerful sobs escaping her small lips, and inwardly screamed.

'_Damn him! Damn him! Damn him! DAMN HIM!__'_

Already, and not for the first time, she was replaying the events that led her to this point, wishing futilely that she could have just one more chance…

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::::Five Weeks Ago::::

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… The heat was unbearable, it was everywhere. The boiling and bubbling lake hissed and popped beneath and around the natural rock platforms and stone bridges, carved into existence from years of erosion. Condensation ran down the walls and dripped from the jagged stalactite covered ceiling, like lukewarm rain amongst the wisps of steam that drifted like ghostly vapors. It was worse then the humidity of a tropical rain forest, and not nearly as easy on the eye, as if it had been brought into existence straight out of hell. The faint trace of sulphur in the air did little to diminish this vision.

Monks lined the walls, peaking out from the cave mouths that led into the extensive maze of tunnels. The pig tailed boy eyed them warily, bruised and bloodied, his torn clothing sticking uncomfortably to his tired body. The boy was breathing heavily, certain that a rib or two was cracked, wincing with each breath while trying to keep his body from shaking. The heat was dizzying, and he felt his stomach, empty from lack of sustenance churn miserably and nausea starting to rise. Glancing at Ryoga, Ranma wondered if the other teenager was feeling the same.

Ryoga looked worse. One cheek and eye swollen and bruised, right arm hanging slightly looser then the other. Ranma couldn't help but clenched his jaw tightly thinking that when they got out of here they needed to train harder then ever.

This was pathetic…

All of a sudden he caught sight of the blood red jewel that reflected the flickering light of the flaming torches and was suspended above the pedestal at the center of the platform by invisible forces the teenager knew he would never understand, but how it was done mattered little to him, the jewel itself was the real prize. That's why the two of them had come all this way. He cursed inwardly and violently, they hadn't given themselves nearly enough time to prepare and recover from the journey to this place.

He cursed both his and Ryoga's impatience.

'_least Akane ain't here to see this' _he thought, shifting to another fighting stance.

Ranma narrowed his eyes on the thick bodied bold headed man standing between them and the jewel. He was a mountain of a man, muscles rippling across a body that had seen numerous years of training. There wasn't as single ounce of useless muscle on the man, with arms and legs as thick small trees and as deadly as battering rams. The sweat that glistened off his body made him look like one of the freaks Ranma had seen in body building magazines, though reminded himself that there were women in Shampoo's village that could put this man to shame without even trying.

Not that he had any right to poke fun. This man had already beaten the two of them black and blue and looked as though he'd barely even got warmed up. That deserved some respect at least.

The man, whom they'd come to call the Guardian gave them both a withering glare, the type a parent gave a naughty child.

"You two have trespassed upon our sacred temple. You have injured my brothers and damaged out home with your violence. I would be well within my right to kill you both and boil your corpses!" he sneered, his brethren glaring in agreement. "I am not without some level of compassion however. Apologize for your actions and give me your word you will never darken this place with your presence again and I will let you go. Persist in opposing me and you will suffer for the rest of your days!"

Giving up wasn't an option, the two of them had decided that already. That's why they had left well before the others probably even discovered they were gone. Ranma struggled not to grin when he thought about how pissed Akane would have been when she found out.

"Yeah right pal" he replied finally. "We came here for the jewel and we ain't leaving without it!"

The Guardian snarled, drawing himself up. "Then this place will be your tomb!"

Even as they launched head on to attack, the shouts and roars of the Monks encouraging their leader assaulting his ears, Ranma couldn't help but feel that this was what he had trained for his whole life. So many years of tireless training, the sweat, blood and tears, the sacrifices that had helped him break free of the bonds of normal human endurance and forged him into the fighter he was now. Fighting was a constant for him, nearly every day of his life was dedicated to it, it was all he knew. It was what he would teach his children to do. But these fights, the do or die fights, they didn't come along that often, not the kind where everything lay on the line.

Even as they ducked and weaved around the Guardians assault, images of his past rivals flashed through his mind. Kirin of the Seven Lucky Gods. Prince Tomma, Ryu Kumon, Herb and Saffron and others his mind failed to bring to bare. He had not given up against them and won, because that was the only option he had.

And this time would be no different.

The Guardian over reached suddenly and Ranma moved into the opening, delivering a set of open palm strikes to the large man's ribs and arm pit using the _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken _while Ryoga moved in from the other side and struck over and over again with all the speed and force he could bring to bare. The older man roared, pain flashing across his eyes as palm prints were left in his side.

The Guardian whirled around suddenly breaking free of the attack, his left fist colliding with the side of Ryoga head's and back of his right hand sent Ranma backwards head over ass towards the lip of the platform. The pig tailed boy dug his fingers into the ground, gritting his teeth as his fingers left deep marks in the rock and tore off a nail or two in the process. He scrambled to his feet immediately, flying through the air to land on the man's back.

"Its going to take more then that to defeat me! _Haku Dato Shin Shō! _"

His fingers were a blur of motion as they drove into the man's back, striking nerve bundles that made him scream in pain before finally throwing the boy off, only to stumble into a strike to his solar plexus from Ryoga. Ranma scooted backwards, shifting immediately into a new stance. He didn't want to have to use the Umisenken, especially since he let his father think he had sealed the technique away.

He couldn't just give up the style like that though.

As much as he found his fathers teaching methods questionable, the Umisenken and the Yamasenken were too powerful to simply throw away like that. He was convinced that in time he could refine the two styles and make them safer to teach and pass on, but he could only do that if he had the chance to study them.

He shook his head and berated himself. _'Stop day dreaming and focus you idiot!'_

He winced suddenly, pain shooting through his bleeding fingers. It felt as if he had been striking iron rather then muscle, and the Guardian didn't look nearly as affected by the attack as Ryu and himself had been. This man was a monster.

"Ryoga! We gotta take him out now!" Ranma shouted, making sure Ryoga could see his hands and prayed the teenager understood.

Ryoga nodded. "Right!"

"What's this?" the Guardian demanded suspiciously as the other teenager put some distance between them, acutely aware they were up to something. They were already gathering the ki into the palm of their hands. Ranma thought if this didn't knock him out they were in serious trouble.

"Should have just given us the Jewel!" Ranma snarled. "_Mōko Takabisha_!"

Ryoga's shouts joined in a second later. "_Shishi Hōkōdan!"_

The Guardians eyes went as wide as saucers when the emotion ki's exploded forth from the battered boys, ripping fragments of rock out of the platform as they tore towards him at incredible speed, not even thinking for a second that either of them had this much power left in them. He didn't even have time to move before the attacks slammed into him from both sides. The explosion was incredible and the sound even more so, like an enormous clap of thunder that shook the temple and loosened stalactites from the ceiling, sending them plummeting into the lake below.

Ranma and Ryoga stood on either sides of the platform, barely gripping it tight enough as the shockwaves threatened to send them flying. Triumph surged through Ranma's body, convinced there was no way anyone could stand up to an attack like that. He resisted the urge to punch the air in victory, smirking at the gawking faces of the monks watching in horror.

"_Yeah that's right, take a good long look"_ the pig tailed boy thought viciously.

Then he froze, a feeling not unlike ice sliding down is spine. He snapped his head towards the cloud of dust and dirt and steam. Before he could blink a monstrous arm sliced through the cloud, reaching out and wrapped its hand around his throat, heaving him off his feet as though he were made of straw. Shock paralyzed the teenager as the cloud dissipated, revealing that Guardian, his body glowing with dark green ki.

His body was different, it had changed and for a second Ranma thought the Guardian must have fallen into a curse spring as well, but then he realized that the man's body was a product of the Ki that surrounded him, He used it to change his body, toughen it and make it larger, extending his arms and legs. Large fangs sprouted from the sides of his mouth, his fingers had turned to razor sharp claws. Muscles were bulging all over the place, increasing the size of his already inhumanly thick limbs. Even his eyes were different, having gone completely white, making him look like a demon.

"That stung!" the Guardian snarled, enraged.

Ranma struggled to pry open the monsters grip, but the Guardian had a hold of him now and he wasn't going to let go that easily. The Guardian yanked him closer until he was barely an inch from the other man's face.

"I offered you both the chance to leave here with only your ego's bruised, but now I'm going to enjoy crushing you." the man growled dangerously.

"_Bakusai Tenketsu!"_

The guardian snapped his head around in shock, in time to see the bombardment of sharp fragments of rock come flying at him. He roared, blocking his face with his monstrous arm, momentarily forgetting about Ranma. That was a mistake. The pig tailed teenager snatched a jagged piece of rock out of mid air, gripping it tight enough that it sliced into the flesh of his hand and nailed it deep into the Guardians shoulder.

The guardians screamed, losing the ability to keep his grip and dropped the teenager while trying to reach around to pull the rock out. Ranma saw his chance this time and made a dash for the pedestal. Once they had the jewel they could get out of here.

Even as he thought that, the term easier said then done came to mind…

He was within arms reach and ready to snatch it up when…"Touch it and he dies!"

Ranma froze, his fingers barely a hairs width from the jewel. He could feel the heat it gave off, could imagine the smooth glassy surface against his skin. He forced himself to turn around, fighting the compulsion to grab the jewel and run. It was so close, so painfully close. When he turned, the Guardian was standing there, his other hand wrapped around Ryoga's throat and squeezing so tightly that the teenager was starting to turn blue in the face, and dangling him over the lake of scolding hot boiling water. Ranma didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see that the Guardian was serious.

"R…Ranma! ACK!" Ryoga gasped, arms flailing about.

"If you have any sense of honor or loyalty to your friend you will give up your desire for the Jewel and you will back away NOW!" the Guardian roared.

Ranma hesitated, looking back and forth between the Jewel and Ryoga. He was so close, the Jewel was his. But Ryoga's terror stricken eyes burned into his mind. Was the Jewel worth the life of a friend, could he live with himself knowing that he succeeded only because he sacrificed another? Knowing Ryoga, his spirit would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"DAMN IT!"

Ranma launched himself through the air at the Guardian, fist drawn and read to strike. The Guardian just smirked and suddenly Ryoga was falling. Ranma's eyes went wide and he ignored the man completely, diving to the ground and sliding towards the edge, his arm whipping forth and snatching hold of Ryoga's wrist. The sudden weight very nearly pulled him over too, as it was he was left laying side ways across the lip of the platform, struggling to find the right purchase.

"Damn it Ryoga you idiot!" he snapped. "Help yourself damn it!"

Any other time he would have been able to hold Ryoga's weight one handed without even breaking a sweat, but he was too exhausted at this point, and his injured ribs were pressing painfully into the edge of the platform. He could see black spots starting to float in front of his eyes too.

He was dangerously close to passing out.

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "Ryoga, this is our last chance, GET HIM!"

With what little strength he had left, he braced himself against the platform, and heaved Ryoga up and into the air, letting the momentum roll himself away from the edge. Ryoga let loose a battle roar that echoed through the cavern and tunnels, gathering ki into the palm of his hands, preparing his _Shin Shishi Hōkōdan._

"Fool!"

Ryoga's eyes went wide, blood flying from his mouth as his body doubled over on itself, the Guardians foot firmly and brutally impacting against the teenagers solar plexus. The ki exploded between the two fighters in mid air, and sent Ryoga flying across the lake like a human missile. Ranma watched in shock as the boy slammed into the rock wall and started to fall, crashing limply on to an outcropping, and didn't move. Ranma swallowed nervously, afraid his friend and rival was dead.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, relief flooding through him when he saw Ryoga trying to get up.

A shadow suddenly fell over him, filling him with cold dread that started at his spine and wormed its way through the rest of him.

"And now for you!" a clawed hand picked him up and threw him against the pedestal, electing a scream from the boy. The Guardian sneered, wounds weeping crimson tears. "Your arrogance has cost you more dearly then you realize child! I have fought countless fighters just like you, just as my ancestors have for thousands of years. You came here to claim what isn't yours and now you will suffer for the rest of your pathetic life!"

The Guardians other hand opened, revealing the Jewel gripped tightly. Light was starting to glow ominously around its edges, causing shadows to dance across its smooth surface, giving it the look of blood rolling and bubbling around inside of it. Ranma swallowed nervously at the look of sadistic pleasure that gleamed in the Guardians eyes. Clenching his fists he pushed aside the fear creeping into his mind, his exhaustion and the pain, and sprung.

"I wont be beaten by you!" he screamed.

"You don't have a choice!" the Guardian grinned.

Ranma's vision was filled with red light as energy exploded forth from the jewel, filling the entire cavern. The blast of energy engulfed his body, impacting it like a cannon ball. The wind was driven from his lungs as he tried to gasp for breath, then the pain erupted from the very pit of his soul and rushed outward, washing through his body and out of his mouth in an agonized scream.

He could see consciousness escaping his grasp, blackness rushing from the corners of his eyes and dropping him into nothingness…

"_Damn it…"_

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There was a strong scent of incense in the air, not unlike the flowery spicing smell of perfume, only thicker and heavier. It filled every corner of the room and pierced the darkness that surrounded Ranma's mind, as though it were smelling salts. Eye lids opened slowly, resistant and heavy, urging the teenager to go back to sleep. It wouldn't have taken much. But even still Ranma forced them open, staring blurrily at the ceiling of a home. A groan escaped her lips - strengthened by the knowledge that for whatever reason she was in her girl form again, something she had stopped questioning a long time ago - as aches spread through her body, like it had been thrown into a clothes dryer full of rocks.

Her body tensed when she felt something wet pressed against her forehead and she became aware of another presence in the room.

"Shh, its ok Ranma, you're home" she relaxed once more when she realized it was Kasumi. "I'll be right back. You've been through a lot. Dr. Tofu had to insert an IV line into your arm, so please don't move around too much, you might accidentally pull it out."

It was hard to defy anything that woman asked - and Kasumi was nothing less then - with her mother like warmth and kindness. Of course there was little Ranma could do anyway; her body ached as though it hadn't moved for weeks. Her muscles and joints were painfully stiff from lack of use. Even still she managed to sit up. She stared at the line inserted into her arm for a second, and then without much care she pulled it out herself, wincing sharply at the sting and clamping a finger over the tiny wound.

The red head hmmm'd softly a few seconds later and slightly cocked her head in confusion. The clothes she was wearing feeling nothing like what she was use to. It was only upon slightly closer inspection that she realized that they were in fact girls' pajamas she was wearing. Although the fact that they were pink and covered in flowery patterns should have been evidence of that. Immediately she figured this was Kasumi or Nabiki's doing.

She frowned when she came to the conclusion that they weren't Akane's. They fit too well to be that tomboy's, and seemed too new.

Irritated as she was, she was too tired to really care, instead she turned her attention towards the gaping blackness of the hole in her memories. She tried to remember what happened, fragments coming to her from the darkness of her mind. The last thing she remembered clearly was the red light filling her vision.

More a sensation than memory, but the feeling of being carried came to her suddenly…and sent a shudder of unease through her.

Kasumi wasn't gone long. A few minutes later she was back, followed by hers and Ranma's fathers, her sisters and much to the red heads surprise there was even Ryoga, Ukyo, Mousse, Shampoo and Cologne as well. The room suddenly felt very crowded. Confusion quickly washed away the pain she felt in her joints and muscles. Perhaps even more worrisome was thee look of concern they all had in their eyes, or in her fathers case a look of loss and regret when he looked at her.

She frowned. "How long have I been out of it for?"

Akane took her hand and squeezed it slightly. "Its been nearly a month Ranma."

The red head bulked at this, her eyes almost bugging comically out of her head. She had never been knocked out of it for that long. Not even Akane had ever hit her so hard before that she had been unconscious for that long. Something about it freaked her out and sent shivers of fear and concern spreading through her.

"You've had a high fever when you got back and you've been drifting in and out of consciousness for days. You've slept most of the time, but… you really had us worried Ranma…" Akane explained.

Ranma noticed Kasumi give the younger Tendo an encouraging smile.

"What did you think you were doing child?" Cologne chided with a frown suddenly, her ancient features impossible to read under all the wrinkles, though Ranma thought she sensed something akin to concern and angry relief directed at her. "I warned you how dangerous they were. How powerful the Guardian is. You're lucky they didn't kill you. What could you possibly have been thinking you fool!"

Ranma honestly felt like a child being scorned for something bad and lowered her eyes in shame.

"We…we thought…that it would be easier if it was just the two of us… we thought we could move faster if it was just the two of us. Get in and get out as quickly as possible…" she explained quietly, her voice nearly a whisper.

"I expect that kind of thinking from you two!" Cologne shot a withering glare at Mousse and Ryoga who seem to shrink slightly under her disturbing gaze, before she turned back to Ranma. "But you! I expected you to have more common sense then that. What a waste!"

The red head stared uneasily. "…What do you mean?"

There it was again, the risked glances of concern and stress, like they were holding something back. Ryoga had lowered his gaze, but Ranma saw the look of remorse and self blame in his eyes before he did, something that unsettled her greatly. Akane's eyes were watery, like quivering orbs and a deep sadness anchored in their dark brown depths. Ranma felt her heart start to race, something was horribly wrong.

"What happened!" she demanded, nearly screaming.

Cologne sighed sadly. "The Guardian used the Jewel on you Ranma…"

The red head stared but not comprehending, even as a lump of ice dropped into the pit of her stomach. She shook her head slowly, frowning as if straining to focus, acutely aware of the goose bumps racing across her skin and a voice screaming somewhere in the back of her mind. She was very suddenly aware of her female body more keenly then she had ever been, feeling uncomfortable but the source of that discomfort eluded her.

"But that's impossible…you said…you said it removes Jusenkyo curses. I'm a still a girl…so it didn't work" she reasoned logically, thinking the old ghoul must have finally lost it. _"About time senility set in…"_

But then she saw the look in everyone's eyes and slowly pieces of the puzzle that had been her confusion started to fall into place. The risked glances, the looks of shame, and regret, the sadness and loss. The tension in the room and all the other emotions that were so painfully obvious. Her head started to swim, and the feeling of dread increased dramatically, fear starting to creep into her face, but even then her brain refused to understand, instead it was slowly shutting down, but not fast enough.

"I was wrong Ranma…" Cologne's tone was soft and distant.

The red heads heart was starting to beat faster, pounding the inside of her chest so hard it felt as if someone was beating her with sledge hammers. Her chest hurt more then it had the first time she met her mother for the first time, when she had been forced to adopt the Ranko identity and fool the wonderful woman into believing she was someone else. There was a feeling of nausea this time, as there had been then too, literally feeling sick to the very depths of her stomach with fear. This was a different kind of fear though. The fear she had experienced back then, had been the fear of being caught, the fear of revealing the truth to her mother about the curse and not seeing a long anger, but one of disappoint and shame.

No, this fear was different, it was more potent and deadly and something she had never experienced before, and she didn't like it, she didn't like it one bit.

It was the fear of not being able to change something no matter what, a fear of being helpless…

Cologne looked her calmly in the eye. "…There's nothing I can do this time…"

Ranma stared accusingly. "You're lying! This…this is just another one of your tricks to get me to marry Shampoo! Well I wont fall for it this time you old witch!"

"Ranma…please!" Akane pleaded suddenly.

"No, she's lying!" the red head insisted.

"She's not lying Ranma…" everyone turned to look at Ryoga. He stared seriously at her, face contorted in self loathing. "…I saw it happen… The Guardian…he handed you to me, and told me that it was your punishment. He said that you would be a reminder of what happened to those that tried to steal the Jewel…"

The silence that fell over the room was more deafening then any of them had ever felt before. Ranma felt as if she was being crushed, a heaviness that pressed down on her chest , a heaviness that had nothing to do with the size of her breasts. She found herself searching Ryoga's eyes for some deception, she knew he was capable of it, but as much as it broke her heart and tore at her insides, she saw only truth there.

"Ranma!"

Before any of them could react, she was up and running, shoving Mousse out of the way as she stumbled into the hallway like a drunk, her legs almost failing her. She staggered, regained her balance and started running, vaulting down the stairs recklessly. Soon as she hit the bottom her legs buckled under her weight and she slid partially across the polished floor board on her knees. She cried out, pain shooting through her legs. She could hear the others scrambling after her, but she had caught them by surprise.

She crashed into the bathroom, barely flinging the doors open in front of her. The hot water was running seconds later. Ranma grabbed the bucket next to the bath and pushed it under the jet stream of water blasting from the faucet. The cold tiles beneath her feet seemed to enhance that lump of ice she felt in her stomach, weaving its cruel gnarled hand around her terrified heart, squeezing and pulling at it like a cruel child.

"_Its not true"_ she screamed inwardly. _"They're wrong! They're lying! They have to be!"_

Without hesitation she snatched the bucket up, sloshing water over its sides. She heaved it up over her head, acutely aware of the weight and the tiredness in her arms. She paused suddenly, the bucket trembling just inches above her head, titled precariously. Ranma's eyes were wide and quivering, the bucket suddenly seeming more threatening then it should have been, the fear now completely wrapping her body in its tendrils, barrowing into her mind and stilling her limbs.

"_DO IT!" _she roared at herself.

As if on command, she let the bucket tip the rest of the way, the hot steaming water cascading over the rim and splashing across her silky soft hair, drenching her and her pajamas in an instant. She gasped loudly, painfully as the water stung and reddened her flesh violently, steam rising up all around her, sucking in deep lungful's of air, gulping like a fish out of water, eyes wide with terror.

But there was no change…but she already knew there wouldn't be. There would never be another change for her again…

She collapsed to her knees, arms hanging limply at her sides. She barely even noticed Akane and the others standing at the door. She didn't care if they saw her tears, even if they could discern them against her already soaked cheeks. Her world was tearing away beneath her feet, revealing a blackness more terrifying then anything she'd ever thought possible.

Akane was in front of her all of a sudden, dropping down on to her own knees and gathering Ranma too her, wrapping her arms around her tightly with more emotion and affection then she had ever shown the fighter. Ranma just stared ahead, not even sure herself if she was really feeling the body of her fiancé pressing against her own.

"I'm sorry Ranma" the girl whispered sincerely. "…Your male body is gone."

As the words left Akane's mouth, a soul shattering scream exploded across Nerima…

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::::The Present::::

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The hatch to the attic hung open like an ominous dark portal to another world, a feeling of despair floating about the inside of the entrance, as if trying to force its way out all at once, and the disembodied sobs they sometimes heard during the night had a haunting affect to them. They were all still in shock, none of them had expected the truth to hit the Ranma so hard, not with all that she had endured since arriving in Nerima and the fourteen long years of training before that. No, they had all expected her to find some driving will to help her through it all. They had expected her to bounce back with the same spirit she always had when faced with a challenge…

Slowly they were starting to realize, that perhaps this was something the great Ranma Saotome, simply couldn't beat with just sheer determination.

Akane was scared, she had never thought she would see the girl this way. After all she'd seen the martial artist overcome, the lengths Ranma had gone to, to prove herself in the past, all the opponents she had beaten and the level of extremes she'd gone through to be the best martial artist she could possibly be had made her seem invincible and her attitude had only reinforced that image of her…

The youngest Tendo hesitated at the steps leading up to the attic, feeling shame in her heart immediately. It wasn't that she didn't want to go up, she did. She wanted to tell Ranma that it was all ok, that they were going to help her get through this, but the girl didn't even have to say the words to know how stale they sounded. How could Ranma possibly make peace with this, it had been hard enough for the red head when Cologne had applied the _Full Body Cat's Tongue_ and Ranma had had the faint hope to cling on to that she would be able to remove the effects and return to her proper form. That hope had allowed her to impress the Amazon Matriarch enough that the old woman had relinquished the Phoenix Pill.

Ranma didn't even have a glimmer of hope to hold on this time…

She was already giving up, Akane had seen it in the smaller girls eyes the last time she'd gone up there. She was acting like a sick animal going off to die by herself. Akane didn't know what she could possibly do to bring her out of it.

She supposed they were just lucky Happosai had disappeared off to some unknown place. She shuddered to think of the field day he would have with all this. It was too much to hope for, but she prayed the little pervert was dead in a ditch somewhere…

"…Akane?"

She turned around in alarm, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. Kasumi was standing there with an understanding look on her face and a fresh tray of food and water for Ranma. Akane chewed her lip uncertainly, feeling as if she should explain herself, but the words wouldn't come.

"…You should get some rest Akane, you've barely slept at all." her sister continued, the serene smile never leaving her lips. "The best thing you can do for Ranma is be strong for her, the way she's been for you in the past. But you cant do that if you collapse now can you?"

It was true, she felt so tired. She couldn't remember having a proper nights sleep since Ryoga came back with Ranma on his back, unconscious and looking as if she had been through hell, and it had almost been a week since she had woken up. Regardless she still wanted to be there by Ranma's side, but she afraid of losing her temper and making the problem even worse, the way she always did. That wasn't what Ranma needed right now, and for a second she thought perhaps that was what her sister was really trying to tell her…

Reluctantly, Akane nodded and stepped aside. "Thank you Kasumi…"

The older Tendo daughter paused at the stairs, sat the tray down and folded her little sister in a tight motherly hug. She whispered softly. "She will make it through this Akane. Believe in her…"

Akane sniffed back a tear. "I know, I'm just scared."

"So is she" Kasumi replied, patting her sister lightly on the back.

They untangled themselves from each other and Kasumi disappeared into the attic without hesitation, while Akane turned and went back down stairs, feeling deflated.

"_Oh Ranma…"_

….

…

…

…

….

It was getting dark when Ryoga walked through the gates of the Tendo Dojo, deep in thought, his mind still focus on the events that had taken place recently. It had been a month since but it still seemed as though it had only happened the day before. He didn't think he was likely to forget it any time soon. Nightmares of ending up as a pig for the rest of his life haunted his sleep, and made him painfully aware of the fact that it could have easily have been him instead of Ranma. He was lucky the Guardian hadn't decided to make an example of him too.

They'd been lucky to escape with their lives period.

He shuddered despite himself at the memory of seeing Ranma's male form erased from existence. It made him feel sick, like someone had dropped a pair of withering eels into his stomach.

He should have been ecstatic.

Ranma was a girl now and forever. She wasn't an obstacle to Akane's heart anymore, and surely their fathers didn't expect the two girls to marry. The point was for Ranma and Akane to produce children together, as husband and wife. That wasn't possible now. Although wouldn't have been surprised if Genma already had a rich husband lined up for his 'daughter.' But even still, this wasn't how he wanted to win. He had dreamt for so long of beating Ranma, getting his revenge for making his life hell. It was Ranma's fault after all that he ended up cursed in the first place. So why did it all taste so sour?

"_Perhaps its because she's in this mess because of you?"_

There was that, he conceded.

"Ryoga!"

The exclaim of surprise shook the boy out of his pensive thoughts as he stepped into view on the back porch. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Akane looking up from the table at him, her face tired and worn, like she hadn't slept in days, and perhaps she hadn't. He could certainly understand that, he'd barely slept a wink either. The sight of Ranma staring hopelessly at nothing on the bathroom floor and that scream, combined with the memory of the battle and the nightmares had kept him awake many nights as well.

"Ahh…..s….sorry to intrude…like this" he stammered.

"That's ok Ryoga, we were just about to have something to eat, would you care to join us?" Kasumi asked from the other side of the table, her smile as bright as ever, as if nothing was wrong.

He was about to decline when his stomach growled warningly. He laughed nervously when he noticed the three Tendo sisters staring. "Thank you, that would be great…"

Even as they ate, Ryoga, clueless as he usually was couldn't help but feel a noticeable change in the atmosphere, a heaviness that seemed to seep into everything and hung in the air like a dark cloud. The house felt colder then usual, but more importantly it was missing something. Whenever he had been here before, the house was filled with so much energy, so much liveliness. It seemed that hardly a second went by when something wasn't happening. Now it seemed as if the house was dying without the attention it was use to.

It wasn't just the house though. All of Nerima had been quiet since he'd returned with Ranma. There had been no property damaging fights, no disruptions at all. He couldn't believe the absence of just one person could cause such an affect. It was as if Nerima was suffocating without the craziness that had become the norm for so long.

"You should go up and talk to her" Kasumi said suddenly.

Ryoga realized he was staring at the ceiling, or perhaps beyond that.

He shook his head and went back to eating. "I don't think that's a good idea. Ranma and I don't get along in the best of situations, I'm the last person Ranma would want to talk to now, I'd probably just make matters worse."

"Oh I'm sure that's not true" Kasumi replied warmly.

Nabiki, who had been quiet the entire time smirked suddenly. "Of course, if you're scared that's fine too…"

Ryoga almost choked on the mouthful of rice.

"Nabiki…" Kasumi admonished.

Ryoga suddenly found himself in a staring test with the middle sister, a sneer tugging at his face as he saw the arrogant look of confidence and victory in her eyes, as if she had already beaten him. He remembered Ranma cursing this girl enough times to know she wasn't someone to be taken lightly. She had outsmarted the best more times then he could remember.

Well not this time, he thought.

A few minutes later he found himself staring up at the trap door leading to the attic, cursing and grumbling under his breath. He was starting to understand that Nabiki was probably far more dangerous then Akane. She didn't need brute force or martial arts to defeat her opponents. She only needed her wits.

With one last sigh he started up.

The attic was dark and eerie, the cold seeping in through unseen cracks. Shadows played about in the low lighting, tricks of the eye but unsettling all the same. The wind was starting to pick up out side and it battered the outer walls, sending a low whistling melody through the room, like the sound of the damned. Ryoga swallowed uneasily, trying to shrug off the oppressive feeling that seemed to close in on him from every direction. His mouth felt dry all of sudden, realizing that the oppressiveness was depression ki, flowing outward in overlapping waves that gathered about the room and expanded outside.

It didn't take him long to find the source.

Ranma was huddled in the corner with her back to him and slumped against the wall, a tray of disregarded food and water to the side of her. He smelt the faint coppery scent of blood in the air. From the girls stillness he almost panicked, a horrible thought that she had hurt herself ran through his mind and he was ready to call for help when she let go of a deep sigh, followed by Ryoga's explosive sigh of relief.

"For Kami's-sake Ranma!" he growled. "I thought you were dead!"

.Ryoga slumped to his butt in the lotus position. He frowned, staring at the back of Ranma's head. He could see her shoulders rise and fall ever so slightly. The teenager berated himself for not spotting that sooner and jumping to conclusions. If she wasn't in such a volatile state, he would have smacked the girl over the head for scaring him like that. But that was likely to make matters worse so he settled for glaring silently.

Time seemed to creep past painfully slow.

"Ehhhh…ahh…how are you feeling?" he asked.

And immediately he felt like a jack ass. What a stupid question he snapped at himself. It was obviously that she was feeling like shit. Ryoga suddenly hated the girls for convincing him to come up here, he didn't know what he was suppose to say to her to get her to talk or make her feel better. Up until a month ago he would have been in his element, gloating at Ranma's fate, or planning on how he was going to kill his rival and win Akane's affections.

"That was a stupid question, sorry…" he said sincerely.

He sighed in exasperation.

"You're a real jerk Ranma" Ryoga grumbled, pausing for a second when he thought he saw her flinch. "You make me hate your guts, you tease and belittle me at every turn, you embarrassed me in front of Akane and you knocked me into that damn Spring. Did you ever once say you were sorry? No, you only gave a damn about yourself."

There was a long pregnant silence. Ryoga expected the red head to laugh at him, to tease him the way she always had in the past, knowing that it only infuriated him more. But she didn't, she didn't even flinch.

"It all seems so stupid now" he continued, thinking back over all the fights they'd had, against each other and working together. "To think it all started over bread."

Ryoga thought he could hear a grinding sound, but disregarded it as his imagination.

"Ranma, you have to pull through this. You can pull through this. You didn't give up when Herb trapped you with that stupid ladle" he added, but she was roused by his words, she didn't even seem to hear'em.

He was wasting his time.

Sighing once more he got up. "I'm sorry Ranma. I wish I could have done more. I owe you my life. If ever need my help, you only need to ask…it's the least I can do….."

He gave her one last look, and then started away from the despondent red head.

"'…Ry…o…ga!"

He whirled around as light suddenly flared behind him.

….

…

…

…

….

Akane was deep in thought as she collected the plates and bowls for Kasumi, when an explosion rocked the house and a scream resounded through the air, ki energy blasting out in a beam that shot out over Nerima. Akane nearly dropped the bundle in her arms when Ryoga crashed next to the pond and bounced into the wall, rubble raining down around him as he hacked and coughed violently, blood sweeping a dozen or more cuts across his body.

Then Ranma landed in front of the back porch, a light glow surrounding her body, hands clenched tightly and her body trembling violently.

"Ranma!" Akane screamed in shock.

At the sound of the commotion and her cries, everyone came running from various parts of the house. They all stared in shock at the rage and fury that surged from Ranma like a tsunami of emotion, trying to drown them.

"Boy what are you doing!" Genma demanded.

Ranma ignored her father with years of practice, her attention focused entirely and solely on Ryoga who stared in paralyzing fear at the fiery red head, his eyes wide with shock.

"**YOU'RE SORRY**!" she screamed incredulously, her voice terrible and wrathful. "I'm stuck like **THIS** for the rest of my life, and **YOU'RE SORRY!"**

Never had they ever seen Ranma this angry, but that was an understatement. This went well beyond the limits of anger. This was raw irrational and uncontrollable rage and pain boiling to breaking point and exploding from the small girl and saturated the ki around her. She was like a little demon wrapped in a seemingly delicate body, and this only seemed to make her even more dangerous. Tears of frustration were starting to stream down her face, cascading off the pair of soft cheeks.

Akane couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Ranma's eyes burned with growing rage "Sorry doesn't cut it Hibiki! **NOT NOW NOT EVER! **Because of you my life is ruined! Because you couldn't help yourself for just five seconds! **DO YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE I WAS! I COULD FEEL IT RYOGA! THE DAMN THING WAS WITHIN MY REACH AND I HAD TO GIVE IT UP TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!"**

"Ranma calm yourself!" Genma shouted, shock and alarm spread across weathered features.

"**I HATE YOU RYOGA HIBIKI! I SHOULD HAVE LET THAT BASTARD KILL YOU!" **Ranma screeched. "_**MOKO TAKABISHA!"**_

Before they could stop her the ki based attack exploded from her hands, a massive blast that engulfed a stunned Ryoga and blasted him through the wall surrounding the Tendo Dojo. Shards of concrete went flying in every direction like a shower of shrapnel across the neighboring houses and surrounding streets. All anyone could do was gasp in horror at the murderous intend behind the attack. Ranma's teeth were bare in a feral snarl that stretched her lips to their limits, all the ki around her being sucked into the attack.

When the blast suddenly dissipated the red head collapsed to her knees, the ground in front of her scorched black and smoking in a trail that led across the street where Ryoga was embedded in another wall, cracks branching out from all around him before he pitched forward on to the ground, his body smoldering. He groaned amazingly, proving once more how incredibly durable his body was.

Akane was too shocked to move at first, but somehow she forced her body forward, running to the fallen teenager.

"**I'LL KILL YOU RYOGA!**"

Akane skidded to a halt, fear wracking her body and freezing her joints. She turned to see Ranma struggling to her feet, ki energy already starting to slowly gather about her hands once more. She watched as her father and Genma rushed forward, practically throwing themselves on the young girl, pinning her to the ground as they struggled to immobilize her flailing arms.

The youngest Tendo looked down to see Ryoga half raised, staring at the spectacle in horrified disbelief as the two men lifted the out of control red head and struggled to drag her away, the girl fighting them the whole way, almost pulling free of their grip and forcing them to exert more strength then they had, surprised that her own tiny form could hold such strength.

She was like a wild wound animal and all her fury was directed at the bandana wearing teenager.

"**LET ME GO! LET ME KILL HIM! HE DESERVES TO DIE!**" Ranma screamed, tears flying from her face as she threw her head around as she was dragged from view. "**YOU ARE DEAD HIBIKI! YOU'RE DEAD! DEAD DO YOU HEAR ME! I WILL KILL YOU I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!**"

Akane wasn't sure how long she stood there, time seemed to have frozen as she listened to the red heads still clearly audible and distraught screams of bottled up rage even after being dragged inside. She looked down at her hands and found them shaking in fear and disbelief at what she had just seen.

"Ryoga…!" she spun around, suddenly remembering the teenager, but paused in shock.

He was gone.

She looked back at the house, the sound of something breaking causing her to wince followed by another string of curses. _"Oh Ranma…what have you done?"_

_**To Be Continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2: Those Things Said and Done

A/N:

I would first like to thank everyone for their reviews. I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount I got for just the first chapter ^^;

I really hope the rest of the story lives up to expectations ^^;

Chapter 2

_Those Things Said and Done_

Broken bricks and pieces of wood were scattered around the dojo in a disorderly fashion, fragments were even embedded in the walls. Ranma moved through each set of kata with the fluid grace of a martial artist; a grace only a female body could possess. Sweat glistening off her chest, her cleavage barely contained by the singlet top she wore, a remnant of her former wardrobe since Kasumi had replaced most of her old clothes and she was not ready to give it up. Not that anyone had the courage to attempt taking it anyway; the angry scowl that seemed permanently part of her face was enough to ensure that.

And the Ryoga incident was still fresh in everyone's mind.

Ranma sneered at the thought of the pig boy and slammed the flat of her palm into the training dummy. A resounding crack split the air as the top half of the dummy went spiraling through the air and crashed against the wall.

The red head's chest heaved with effort, her breasts seeming to grow even larger as her heart pounded viciously. With a snort of satisfaction she turned around and scooped up her towel and water bottle. The liquid felt like the elixir of life as it ran down the back of her throat. She'd empty more then half of the bottle before screwing the cap back on and casually casting it to the side as she sat down, wiping the towel through her sweat soaked hair. When she pulled the towel away tuffs of hair puffed out in every direction, while other clumps were matted to her head and knotted from poor care.

She looked more like a wild animal then a seventeen year old girl.

Sitting in the lotus position the red head leaned back against the wall of the dojo, arms hung gracelessly at her sides with the towel draped across her shoulders. For a second, if you peered past the delicate female exterior, you could almost see her male form lingering about her.

There was nothing feminine in her body language at all, and that was the way she wanted it.

Her head rolled too the side as she heard the doors slide open. She wasn't surprised to see Kasumi walk in carrying some tea. The older Tendo sister had made it her business to make sure Ranma adjusted to her new circumstances. She seemed to be the only one that understood that this wasn't easy for the red head. That this wasn't like the other times she had been trapped temporarily in her female form. Of course it didn't escape Ranma's attention either that she was being treated like a little sister, but she said nothing, grateful for Kasumi's company.

"Good morning Ran-chan" Kasumi greeted her warmly, the kind smile never leaving her face. "I made some tea and thought you might like some."

Ranma attempted a smile, and failed. Instead she just nodded, helping Kasumi with the tray as the older girl knelt across from her. Ranma watched as the young woman prepared and poured the tea with expert ease. She couldn't help but admire the strength of this woman. It seemed that barely anything could faze her, and if it did, it wasn't for long. She was perhaps the most caring person Ranma had ever met, and often wondered if Kasumi was like the late Mrs. Tendo.

She accepted the cup with a soft reply. "Thank you."

They sat in silence, enjoying the hot liquid. Ranma enjoyed the peace and quiet of the dojo, not having to worry about anything beyond the room while she was here. In the few days that had passed since the Ryoga incident, it had become an unspoken rule that when she was in the dojo, no one would bother her.

With the exception of Kasumi of course.

When she looked up from her tea she noticed the older girl giving her a disapprovingly look.

The red tilted her head slightly, "What?"

"We really need to have a long talk about proper hair care Ranma, your hair looks terrible" Kasumi frowned motherly at the red head. "Really, have you washed at all since you woke up?"

Ranma stared at her disbelievingly.

"I know you're having a hard time adjusting to everything Ranma, and that's understandable but that really isn't any reason to stop looking after yourself now is it?" Kasumi continued. "You're not a child after all; you should be able to look after yourself."

The red head felt her eye twitch in shock. _"…Did she just… scold me…?_

Worse yet she actually felt bad.

"I've had a lot on my mind lately Kasumi. You know that" she replied quietly. "I have enough to worry about without having to worry about whether my hair looks ok."

The older girl gave her a patient, yet tender look. "Then you need to talk about what's on your mind Ranma. It's not healthy to bottle it all up the way you have been. Look what happened with poor Ryoga. Do you really want that to happen again and accidentally hurt Akane or another of your friends?"

Ranma snorted darkly. "Ryoga is no friend of mine. He got what he deserved."

"Now I know you don't mean that Ranma. You may think you do but I know you didn't really like attacking him like that. It's not in your nature, you're a good person with a good heart. But, that doesn't change the fact that you're still human. Nobody is perfect after all; it could happen again. What if Akane says the wrong thing and you lose your temper? I know she's not much better; but, you're a lot stronger than her. You could really hurt her if you lose it like that again. Then how would you feel?" Kasumi pointed out soothingly.

The answer was a simple one. She would feel like crap and would never forgive herself. Ryoga was a different matter. She refused to feel sorry for her actions where he was concerned. He was the one that had always attacked her screaming that he was going to kill her. She wouldn't feel bad for doing the same when she had a genuine reason to be upset.

Even still, she knew Kasumi was right; she couldn't stand the thought of physically injuring someone close to her like Akane just because she couldn't control her temper. Even now, she could feel the anger and frustration simmering away inside. She didn't want to feel angry all the time. It was a horrible feeling that made her sick to her core and tore at her insides.

Nothing she did could sooth the growing pain and indignation she was forced to suffer. Every time she glanced at a mirror, or saw her reflection at all she was reminded of her new reality. Her pain was becoming a fuel for the anger, which would turn into pain once more, feeding off each other.

"I would hate myself" she admitted finally after what felt like an eternity. The red head sighed tiredly. "I wish the Guardian had just killed me."

"Don't ever say that Ranma!" Kasumi admonished quickly. "I know you're angry and scared about what's happened. Anyone in your positioned would be. You just have to give yourself time to adjust. But, you should never say something like that. Do you know how sad everyone would be if something had happened to you? Akane would have been devastated; and what about your parents?"

Ranma looked away, glaring at the floor with hurt in her eyes. "Pop wouldn't have cared as long as I died like-a-true-martial-artist…"

"Mr. Saotome is many things, but your father isn't that heartless" the Tendo sister replied seriously. "He was so very worried about you when you were unconscious."

"I saw the look of loss in his eyes when I woke up. The regret of what his son had become. It was the same look he gave me when I first fell into the spring, I could see it even in those stupid panda eyes of his. He couldn't, or wouldn't, hide that from me and he continually points out how shameful I am to the legacy of Anything Goes School of Martial Arts" Ranma sneered.

"Well I didn't say your father wasn't an idiot Ranma" Kasumi pointed out, shocking the red head with her blunt observation. "But even still, no matter what he thinks of how you look, what's happened to you or what he thinks is your fault, you're still his child and he was worried about you."

Ranma wasn't so sure about that, after all she had known her father a lot longer then Kasumi had. She had to endure the grueling years of training under his tutelage and had to be grateful for it all. To complain was to be berated and belittled. It was unbecoming of a man his father would say. A true martial artist endured all without fear or complaint and dedicated his life to the art without hesitation, sacrificing all.

Body _and_ soul.

Yet how quickly those views went flying out the window when his son was cursed because of his father's incompetence. Once more she was reminded of the fact that she wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for her father's stupidity and careless obsession with martial arts.

It was her greatest fear that she would follow his example, rather then learn from it.

At the same time, she couldn't blame her father for it all. She had her own free will of course, all she had to do was say no and walk away. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being a martial artist of course. No she loved fighting strong opponents and proving herself superior in combat.

"Let's agree to disagree" she said after a long while. She blinked suddenly in realization and stared at Kasumi, a little shocked. "Hey! You tricked me with that hair care junk. You just wanted me to admit I was distracted so you could get me talking."

Kasumi smiled, pleased with her little deception. "You may be a girl on the outside Ranma, but you're still clearly a boy on the inside and guys don't unusually like to talk about their feelings unless they're pushed to, and if it's something I've learned about you since you've been living here is that you fall into that category Ranma. Although I did mean what I said about your hair, we really do need to talk about that."

Part of her knew that she should be offended by that observation, that it made her seem too two dimensional and turned her into a stereo type, but, at that moment, to her ears it sounded too much like a compliment. She even felt a sheepish smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Just as quickly though, she realized it didn't change anything. She was still a guy trapped in a female body now and forever. She was no longer the seventeen year old boy that had looked forward to one day marrying Akane and joining the Saotome and Tendo schools of Anything Goes Martial Arts. In the blink of an eye and an impatient decision, she suddenly found her life and her future separate from Akane's.

What was expected of her now? Would she simply grow old and die one day, alone and bitter or would she…she shuddered to think about that horrifying possibility…

"I'm never going to lead a normal life" she muttered softly. "I've never had a normal life anyway so I don't know why it's so important to me. Until we came here we never really stayed in one place for all that long; except when I was in junior high; but, that didn't last long either. When I fell into the spring I knew for sure that nothing would ever be normal for me. But now this… it just seems to have …I don't know, finalized everything."

"Your life is what you make it, not what others make it for you" Kasumi replied, pausing to take a sip of her tea. "You need to work that out for yourself, no one else can do that for you. You're still young Ranma; you shouldn't be worrying about your future now. Just live and see where life takes you instead of trying to control it."

Ranma nodded slowly, understanding what Kasumi was saying. It was all well and good in theory, but putting it into practice was another thing entirely. Maybe if she was still able to switch her forms back and forth it would be easier, but being trapped made her more painfully aware that her future would be different to what she had planned. It was consuming her, more and more. Before long it would start to drive her insane she thought.

"I think I want to get back to my work out now" she said calmly, then for Kasumi's benefit she added. "And then I'll give my hair a wash…"

….

…

…

…

….

Later that day at the Nekohanten, business was busy as usual. Hardly a day went by when it wasn't. It was one of the popular hang outs for high school students in the afternoons and for couples and small families at night. Cologne knew why most of them came here, the men at least. Were it not for the presence of Shampoo the café restaurant would have to survive on the merit of its food alone, which admittedly was among the most popular even outside of Nerima and that it moved around with the seasons helped as well. The only rival that the Nekohanten had was Uuchan's; which was just as popular.

It all seemed so very insignificant now.

Cologne passed out another set of bowls to Shampoo and set her towards the table they belonged to, but her mind was else where. She couldn't help but think about how drastically the situation had changed for them here. Was there anything really keeping them here now? Shampoo was still concerned about Ranma, perhaps even still had feelings for the red head despite the fact they were both female now. But that would pass once her great granddaughter had time to properly accept the change. The two could still be friends of course; but, unless Ranma was willing to marry and breed with an Amazon man to produce strong, healthy offspring – and she seriously doubted the girl would – then the red head no longer served much of a purpose to her.

She glanced over at Mousse as he busied himself preparing another meal, narrowing her eyes in serious consideration.

"_No"__, _she sighed._"Ranma would kill the fool if I tried that…"_

It was a pity.

The teenager had impressed her over and over again and she had looked forward to the contribution Ranma would have made to the tribe. But she made no illusions that she could convince the girl to produced children for them as a mother. There was nothing the old woman had that she could threaten the girl with, nothing to scare the child with, and certainly nothing to entice her with. No the girl would rather die then accept that fate and Cologne had no desire to drive the girl to death.

She had vested so much time and energy into Ranma that to leave now just seemed like a waste. Her ancient withered features crinkled in deep contemplation, trying to find some starting point to work from.

"Great Grand Mother ok?"

Cologne looked up, noticing that Shampoo was standing there.

"Yes child, I just have a lot to consider" she replied calmly. "Nothing for you to worry yourself over."

The door to the café opened suddenly and Cologne expected another flood of customers, instead she found herself staring at Kasumi Tendo. The girl was the perfect image of serenity, but hid an amazing inner strength. Of course she had to, to be able to keep that household running as smoothly as it did. The old woman knew that the girl's family would be lost without her.

Cologne turned back to Shampoo handed her a carry container and a slip of paper. "You have a delivery to make. Get going."

The young Chinese girl stared back and forth between the oldest Tendo sister and her great grand mother. She knew she was being ushered out of the café so that these two could talk without her overhearing, but there was little she could do except nod and leave immediately. Even still Cologne made sure the girl was gone before signaling Kasumi over to a spare booth.

"You are the last person I expected to see here Miss Tendo" the old woman said as she calmly prepared a pipe. "What can I do for you child?"

"I'm worried about Ranma, She hasn't been sleeping too well, she's still not eating much and she's pushing herself harder in the dojo." Kasumi explained calmly, yet the concern was evident in her eyes; like a mother that didn't want to panic over nothing but, knew there was something wrong all the same. "She won't admit it of course, but I've heard her moving around at night. I was hoping you might have a special remedy that would help her sleep easier. I would ask Dr. Tofu but he always seems so distracted when I stop by to visit."

"I see" Cologne replied thoughtfully. "I had heard that she wasn't adjusting too well to her new situation. When Mousse told me about what happened to Ryoga, I must admit I was shocked. None of us are perfect; but, I never thought she would go to such extremes, even under the pressures she's been under."

Kasumi sighed. "Yes, I don't think we quiet understand how hard this may be for her. But I think I may have made some progress with her earlier. It seems as if she's balancing on the edge of a knife and that one little push is all it would take to send over the edge. I'm worried about what she might do if she is pushed to far. She's scared more then anything, and fear can make people do stupid things. And, given the way she's been raised I'm afraid she might do something rash."

Cologne understood what she meant, having already considered the same thing. She had come to the conclusion that Ranma was too stubborn to do anything too extreme. Yet she had to remind herself that these were very different circumstances that the red head was in now. The old woman worried that the man trapped in that delicate female body might not be able to handle it.

"I managed to get her talking a little about what's on her mind earlier. She's scared that she's let her father down, that he's ashamed of her…" Kasumi paused and sighed. "I know he does care though. He was worried when Ryoga returned with her, but he wouldn't admit it. Why is it that men have so much difficulty expressing their feelings?"

The old woman gave a small smile. "The minds of men can be as alien to us as ours are to theirs, child. Fortunately for us most men are idiots."

"Mr. Saotome certainly falls into that category" Kasumi laughed softly, the sound of her pleasant laughter was like a breath of fresh air.

The old woman wondered why this child hadn't caught herself a man yet.

The young woman stopped herself with a disapproving look in her bright eyes. "Oh dear, I shouldn't say such things about guests. It's not proper. I'm starting to sound like Nabiki."

"_You could stand to learn a thing or two from that one, dear…"_ is what she wanted to say, but insteadCologne's face gleamed with amusement. "I won't tell anyone if you won't, even if it is true"

A silence settled over the booth for a small amount of time as Kasumi seemed to gather her thoughts again, focusing again on her visit. She twiddled her fingers somewhat nervously, as if afraid to ask her next question.

"Is there anyway to reverse what's happened to her?" she asked seriously. "Is there anyway she can be male again, will the springs at Jusenkyo help her?"

"I hear they're doing wonders with plastic surgery nowadays" it came out a little more insensitive then the old woman intended. She sighed deeply. "No, there's no way she will truly be a man again. The affects of the Jewel are permanent. They make her immune to the powers of the cursed springs and unfortunately I know of no other magic that would help her. It is possible of course that it exists out there somewhere, but I have no knowledge of it. And, I wouldn't want her to waste her life looking for something that possibly doesn't exist."

"I see" Kasumi replied solemnly.

"Perhaps Ranma would benefit from talking about all this with her mother? I understand Ranma has a great deal of respect for the woman" Cologne suggested, sensing that perhaps this was all a bit much for the girl before her to shoulder all by herself.

"Unfortunately Auntie Saotome is out of town right now on family business. She left shortly before you told Ranma about the Jewel" she explained with a sigh. "I've tried to contact her but I haven't been able to get through to her, even Uncle Saotome hasn't heard anything from her. For now I'll do what I can to help Ranma until Auntie Nodoka returns."

"I am certain she'll appreciate your efforts" Cologne nodded calmly, before sliding out of the booth. "I might have something that may help with Ranma's restless sleeping. I'll be right back."

The old woman went upstairs where she kept her remedies and potions locked up safe. More from Shampoo and Mousse's sticky fingers then anyone else. Many were dangerous and had to be used under the strictest supervision, while others were rare enough that she wanted neither of her young wards wasting them. The fact that Ranma was having trouble adjusting, and taking it out on others troubled her somewhat, so she felt justified in using one of her rarer remedies in this case. Part of her felt she owed the girl that much at least.

Kasumi was still seated at the booth when she returned. She handed the young woman the sealed satchel.

"You only need to use a pinch of this. It is very potent and fast acting herb, so you will want to save it for night time meals. You'll be best of mixing it in with some tea or warm milk. It will cause her to become drowsy very quickly and will allow her to get full nights sleep uninterrupted. It will also give her back some of her appetite. Remember though, only a pinch and only once a night" she explained seriously. "Anymore and it could cause her to slip into a coma she'd never awake from."

"Oh my, what an amazing remedy" Kasumi said, clearly impressed. "However did you come by it?"

Cologne couldn't help but grin mischievously. "It is an ancient Chinese remedy that was originally made at the secret request of an Empress to give her a measure of peace and quiet from her…._insistent_….husband."

"Oh….**OH!**" Kasumi's face went scarlet as she realized the meaning behind the old woman's words, who chuckled at the girls' reaction.

"Needless to say we kept the recipe as a way to keep our husbands in line. As you can imagine I have no need of it anymore, those days are well and truly behind me now" Cologne continued. "Although back in the day I needed a steady supply of it. I had to beat the men away with a broom."

Kasumi looked as if she had heard more then she needed to, and tried desperately not to make eye contact with the old woman. She was old enough that such matters really didn't faze her much. She had seen and done more then many could comprehend and so there was little that shocked her, but she still loved to see the reactions of others who were not so well adjusted to such talk.

The Tendo sister suddenly checked the time on her watch and was slightly surprised. "Oh dear, I didn't intend to take this long. I had better be going. Thank you for your help granny."

"Any time child" replied and walked with her to the door. "If you need anything else, you only need to ask. I want to see Ranma work through this as well."

Kasumi sighed. "I would be happy enough if we could get her to let go of all the anger she's feeling."

Cologne nodded. "I fear that will be harder then getting blood from a stone."

….

…

…

…

….

It was one of those rare moments when everyone else had something better to do than trying to keep a close eye on the red head. The house was quiet when she poked her head out of the bathroom, her hair unbound and falling about and below her shoulders. She shivered as a draft crept across her bare skin, her body covered only by the towel wrapped around it. Once she was reasonably sure no one was around she left the bathroom and started for her room.

She moved with the stealth of a ninja, slipping up stairs without causing even a single floorboard to creak. If there was anyone still inside the house they wouldn't have heard her. Ranma slid her bedroom door shut behind her and let the towel fall to the ground without a shred of feminine modesty. Only reason she had worn it that far was because she had promised Kasumi she would try to be more conscious of those types of things from now on. Kasumi gave so much of herself to everyone, and put so much effort into maintaining the house that it was hard, if not impossible, to not do something she asked. At least Ranma had always felt that way.

Kasumi really did feel like a big sister.

The red head rubbed her eyes gently, stifling a yawn as she knelt down in front of the old low sitting double draw dresser they had brought down from the attic for her. She stared at the small collection of bras and panties, Kasumi had taken upon herself to buy for the girl while she was comatose. She had gotten rid of most of her male clothing at the same time, leaving only her favorite silk red shirt, the singlet and a couple of slacks for work out sessions. Ranma hadn't been impressed when she found out, and she still wasn't; but, it was impossible to fault the older Tendo sister for doing what was obviously a heart felt act of kindness.

"_That'__s right Ranma, grin and bare it"_ she sighed aloud.

She let her hands drop into her lap, a frown knitting her brow as her head hung slightly. The girl wanted to scream at her own silliness. It wasn't like she hadn't dressed in girls clothes before. She'd done it more times then she could count, for one reason or another. She had embarrassed herself in skimpy bunny girl get ups, cheerleader outfits and leotards where it had been impossible to wear her men's boxers and singlet top underneath. So why did this all feel so hard for her?

"_Because you knew you could always change back before dumb ass"_ she growled inwardly. _"And now you think by putting off wearing this junk that you'__re gonna be able to hold on to your non-existent manhood. Guess what Ranma, it__'__s gone! You__'__re never getting it back!"_

"Shut up!" she muttered harshly, without even realizing that she speaking aloud until she heard her own voice. The red looked up in exasperation. "Great! If things weren't bad enough now I'm talking to myself…"

Ranma grabbed the plainest looking pair of panties and bra and slipped them on without trying to think too much about it. However, she couldn't ignore the feel of the undergarments against her body, specifically the bra straps pressing against her shoulders. She shifted it around, trying to get comfortable; but, after several minutes she unclasped the bra – struggling for few seconds more as it kept slipping from her fingers and snapping against her back – and threw it back into the draw with a frustrated look of disgust, feeling like an idiot.

The red proceeded to pull on a pair of jeans – which, she grudgingly admitted were very comfortable despite their skin tight fit – and a button up blouse-of which she quickly pulled a sweater over the top of. She brushed her hair several times as Kasumi had told her to and as she had seen the girls do countless times before since she had come to live here. She nearly cried out when several knots got tangled in the brush and felt as if it was pulling her scalp off with it. Finally she set it aside and untied the string she had secured to her wrist when she was showering, and then started to pull her hair back into her trademark pig tail.

She continued to mutter under her breath the entire time, blushing furiously before shoving the underwear draw shut with her foot. Ranma kept staring at it for a long time, clenching her teeth at the sight of the bra partially sticking out of the draw as if taunting her.

Part of her felt like a coward running from a monster. She knew that this was something she had to get use to eventually. With a sigh she swallowed her pride and pulled the draw open again and sorted through the few brassieres, examining them and wondering what the hell it was that Happosai found so damn fascinating about the stupid things. They were just clothes after all.

She shuddered violently at the thought of how much harder the old fool would make her life if he was here.

"_Thank the kami the little freak isn't here"_ the corner of her eye twitched and she felt the need for another shower suddenly. Then her attention turned back to the bras and started to pull off the shirt and sweater again. _"May as well get this over and done with…"_

She was pulling one of the bras on when the door to her room opened suddenly and without hesitation. Ranma glanced back over shoulder to see her father standing in the door way, looking calm but uncomfortable at the same time. She stifled a sigh and went back to trying to make herself comfortable. The look in his eyes was like a punch in the face, and right now it was the last thing she wanted to see.

They hadn't spoken at all since she had woken up. He had tried, but he just didn't know what to say.

That much was obvious.

"If you don't start learning how to knock pops, Kasumi is going to make a rug out of your panda hide and serve up what's left for dinner" she warned coldly, wincing suddenly as the skin along her ribs pinched, making her yelp. "Damn stupid things!"

She decided to just suffer wearing the one she'd just chosen rather then suffer the indignity of trying the other ones on with her father in the room. It had nothing to do with feminine modesty of course; she would have done the same with anyone. It was bad enough, having to deal with it alone without having an audience watch her struggle with something as stupid as a bra…

Genma growled in his usual melodramatic fashion.

"Stop your petty quips Ranma. Don't you realize how serious this all is! Not only will the Tendo and Saotome schools never be unified now, but the future of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts is in jeopardy because of your stupid rash decision! And all you can do is sit there and play dress up!" the older man snapped angrily.

Ranma was doing up the last button of her blouse when he said that. Her mind froze in shock and disbelief. She turned to stare incredulously at him, rage starting to build behind her icy blue irises. His words sliced through her viciously without care and the look of shame in his eyes was nearly too much for her to bear. She felt the hurt as clearly as though a sword had been ran through her chest.

She was starting to see red.

Her fists clenched tightly as she got to her feet, eyes narrowing dangerously and her nails cutting into her skin so that crimson droplets fell to the floor.

"_What_... did you just say!"

….

…

…

…

….

The streets were eerily deserted and the dark clouds overhead did not help. There was a low rumble of thunder within the masses, a promise of a storm later Kasumi thought as she stared up at the sky as she walked. She was nearly home. The house was just around the corner.

Her mind was still on the conversation she had had with Cologne. Worry for Ranma gnawed at her, wondering if she should tell the girl that there's nothing that can be done to help her regain her old form. She wasn't sure if the young girl could take that kind of news right now, but she didn't feel right keeping it from her either. Ranma had the right to know after all, Kasumi just didn't want to cause her anymore pain if she didn't have to.

She sighed and decided that, as much as she didn't want to, she wouldn't tell Ranma. If the girl wanted to be sure it was something she had to find out herself instead of having someone tell her the facts without being asked to. Right now it was more important to get Ranma to deal with her new situation instead of locking herself away in the dojo everyday trying to avoid everyone. Then there was the problem of how Ranma was going to handle school; which, she wasn't going to be able to avoid for much longer and that would bring with it a whole other set of problems that Ranma needed to be prepared for.

Kasumi frowned, realizing that it was going to be next to impossible to convince Ranma to wear a girl's school uniform…It had been hard enough convincing her off the need of female under garments.

She realized of course that for Ranma wearing a girl's uniform would pale in comparison to how she would be treated by the other students. Kasumi knew that many of the boys at the school were infatuated with Ranma's girl form even after they had learned the truth about the pig tailed girl. That would make it difficult for the red head if they were constantly hounding her, but then again Ranma wasn't special in that regard. It seemed any girl would do, as far as those boys were concerned and it was something Ranma was going to have to learn to deal with as well.

No, Kasumi was more worried about how the girls would deal with Ranma's change of circumstances. No doubt they wouldn't take too well to the idea of Ranma using the same bathroom and locker rooms with them; she was after all still a guy trapped inside a girl's body.

She genuinely felt sorry for the tiny red head, knowing that there were still many trials ahead of her. It was the things that all women dealt with on a daily basis and the little things that most people took for granted that would be the biggest things Ranma would have to deal with.

"_**You**_ have no right to speak to me like that old man!"

Kasumi was walking through the gates when Ranma's piercing scream caught her attention. A cold lump of dread gripped her suddenly. The young woman ran the rest of the way, dashing through the house to the dining room where she found the red head having a shouting match with Genma. The others were gathered around looking on uneasily at the fight. They had seen the two argue before, but things were different this time. It was serious this time.

"What right? What... right? I am your father, boy! I can speak to you whatever way I wish! Especially after the mess you've gotten yourself into. I didn't raise you to be an ungrateful brat!" Genma shouted, waving his fists about like a wild animal.

Ranma bristled at her fathers' words, her eyes going angrily wide. "My mess? MY MESS! **YOU'RE** the one that took me to Jusenkyo! **YOU'RE** the one that knocked me into the Nyannichuan! If you had one ounce of sense in that small brain of yours I wouldn't have had to risk my life to try and get the Jewel!"

Genma growled in frustration. "You're always blaming others for your problems! You were always complaining about your curse and how much you hated it, until you could use it to get whatever you wanted! Being a girl didn't bother you when you would flirt with young men to get free food! So don't you stand there and blame me for your situation! You're a disgrace to the art!"

Kasumi stared in shock at Genma's. She saw the look of pain and rage, and heart break in Ranma's eyes as her father tore her down with those words. Didn't he understand what he was saying to her? Didn't he understand this wasn't what the girl needed? She wanted to reach out and stop them, to grab Genma and shake some sense into him, but she couldn't find her voice.

"You were the one that taught me to take advantage of any situation!" Ranma screamed. "And how dare you, of all people lecture me about my choices? Do you know how many lives you've ruined? You stole Ukyo's okonomiyaki cart and left her with nothing but a ruined reputation! Your damn Yamasenken techniques killed Ryu's father! You threw me to packs of starving cats with food tied to me! Have you ever showed even the slightest bit of remorse? NO! You either run away and hide or place the burden of your mistakes on MY shoulders and you expect me to do it, AND I DO!"

"It's your duty to help your father!" Genma snapped.

"My duty? What about you're duty to your son!" the red head snarled. "You've never cared about what I've had to sacrifice! All you care about is your own selfish whims! You're no better then the old freak! I had to hide from my own mother because of you're stupidity! Did you ever once care about how much you hurt her! Did you ever stop to think about how lonely she was while you dragged me all over the place! No, you didn't, because all you care about is yourself!"

Kasumi stared pleadingly at her own father to put an end to this, but he didn't see her, he was too stunned at the argument going on between the two. Kasumi could see Akane was just as worried as she was by all this. She stared back at the two arguing, thinking that this had been brewing between them for a long time. All the humiliations Ranma had been forced to endure because of his fathers carelessness and self serving schemes had finally reached breaking point. There would be no stopping this until they had both ran out of steam.

"If that was true you would have starved to death a long time ago!" Genma glared angrily. "I always made sure you were fed and looked after, so don't you say I never cared about you!"

"Yeah you made sure I was fed and looked after. You just had to sell me to complete strangers to make sure it was done right!" Ranma sneered. "How many times did you sell me like a piece of meat to feed your own stomach? How many people did you cheat!"

Genma crossed his arms in front of his chest stubbornly. "I will not feel sorry for my actions! The life of a true martial artist is wrought with dangers and I did what I had to, to look after you and make sure you grew up stro –"

"BECAUSE MOM WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU!" Ranma cut him off with a roar, with rage filled eyes. "If she knew half of the things her so called honourable husband got up to, she would take your head off!"

"I am your father and you will speak to me with respect!" Genma drew himself up, trying to look intimidating …and failed miserably. "You owe me that much!"

"I OWE YOU NOTHING!" Ranma screamed.

Silence fell quickly over the group. All they could do was stare as Ranma's shoulders rose and fell with heavy breathing. Her face was red and her eyes filled with raw emotion. Years of pent up anger and hurt all finally coming to the surface. Kasumi's natural reaction was to wrap the girl up in her arms, to hold her and give her the comfort the girl needed, to give her someone to hold on to. But she didn't. She had to remind herself that this wasn't a normal person.

The others all stared at the red head, as if seeing her for the first time. Even Genma stared in shock. So caught up were they that they were only vaguely aware that it started to rain.

Ranma's voice came out in a harsh whisper. "I owe you nothing. I will never owe you anything. You took my life away from me when we went to Jusenkyo. You took my dignity away from me and all you ever cared about, was how it made you look…I'll never forgive you…"

Ranma turned to walk away, but Genma moved to stop her. "Ranma wait!"

"Don't touch me!" Ranma screamed, whirling around and slapping her father's hand away, and bringing her other arm up to strike.

"Ranma don't!" Akane cried out suddenly.

The youngest Tendo moved before anyone could stop her, slipping her arms around Ranma from behind and tried to lock the flailing red head's arms in place, trying to stop the girl from doing something she might regret later. Ranma was too angry to be stopped so easily. She had been willing to walk away and leave the matter as it was, knowing that she was close to exploding from the hurt she was feeling. Sensing her fathers' intention to stop her was the final straw. She struggled violently, trying to twist out of the other girl's grip.

"Stop it, let go!"

"No!"

"LET GO!"

Ranma surged forward, breaking Akane's hold. Reacting on instinct and reflect, she attacked. The back of her hand crashed violently against the side of the other girl's shocked face with incredible force. The hit picked the girl off her feet and sent her flying backwards across the dining room, crashing outside on to the back yard, and didn't move. Everyone froze in shock and disbelief.

Kasumi's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped.

She spun back around to Ranma. The red head standing there frozen in place as her eyes widened with horror, realization weighing her down as she stared at what she had done. The girl started to shake her head and tremble noticeably. Her mouth was moving but no words were coming out. She was starting to hyper ventilate, her breathing getting heavier and faster and a look of panic crept in her eyes and she started to back away.

"Ranma –" Kasumi started.

"NO!" Ranma screamed.

The red head dashed forward, running outside past Akane and jumped the wall surrounding the property and disappeared from sight. Kasumi was about to go after her when she was reminded of Akane, hearing a groan escape the girl's lips. She went to her sister's side immediately at the same time Nabiki did. Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the girl was just dazed, but her cheek was already starting to form an ugly bruise across it. She should have known Akane wouldn't be knocked out by something that mild.

"Where's Ranma?" the girl asked.

"We'll worry about her later. Come on, let's get you inside before you catch a cold" Kasumi replied softly, helping the girl to her feet.

Genma was still rooted to the same spot; unable to believe what had just happened and looking like he knew he was to blame, when she was walking Akane through the dining room to the bathroom. Kasumi stopped and stared angrily at him, an expression rarely, if ever seen on her face.

Which only seem to make it even more meaningful.

He opened his mouth to speak.

A resounding smack echoed deafeningly through the house as Kasumi's hand collided with his face without warning, leaving an angry hand print in its place as she glared at him. Her family stared in utter disbelief. To see her angry was one thing. To see her actually slap someone was another matter altogether.

She stubbornly continued to glare at him for a few second longer, holding his stunned gaze, before turning her attention back to her little sister, and left the foolish old man where he was.

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma wasn't sure how long she had ran for, only that it was darker then when she had left the Tendo's and the rain had lessened into a misty drizzle. She was soaked through to the bones, her hair plastered across her forehead and the sides of her face, and her clothes sticking to her body, the blouse distinguishing her figure even more. The red head was still trembling when she realized she was in the park, sitting on a bench and hugging herself against the cold. When she looked down she noticed there was blood dripping from her bare feet where she had cut them on the ground and mixing with the water about her feet.

Tears streamed down her face, disguised by the rain. Her face was flushed and her body struggled to regulate its heat. Her lungs were heaving in her chest from the strain of the run, having forgotten to breathe properly or pace herself. She hadn't been thinking at all when she was running. She just knew she had to get away.

She could still see Akane flying through the air again.

_You hit her!_

Sailing across the dining table and through back porch, doors.

_You hurt her!_

Crashing against the hard ground and remaining where she had landed.

_You idiot! You hit her!_

She stared at her hand accusingly, as if it were to blame. The back of it was still tingling from crashing against the other girl's cheek. She could still see the look of shock in Akane's face just before the attack.

Ranma screamed and pulled her legs up to her chest, burying her face in her knees, trying to purge the image from her mind, but it was burned into it forever. She hadn't meant to hit the girl. Her body reacted on years of training drilled into it every single day. Akane was sent flying through the air before she'd even had a chance to realize what she had done.

She cursed the girl.

Why couldn't Akane have just let her attack her father and be done with it!

Ranma clawed at the side of her head in frustration. Kasumi had tried to warn her that this would happen if she didn't deal with her anger. She had tried to get her to see reason and now it was too late. Ranma felt sick to her stomach with guilt, the image of Akane laying there haunting her viciously. Irrational, panicked thoughts of the worse flew about in her mind. Images of Akane with a broken cheek or a skull fracture. How could she ever look at the girl again, let alone herself?

"What am I turning into?" she cried remorsefully.

Not for the first time the red head seriously contemplating leaving altogether. She could leave Nerima and disappear. She had lived most of her life on the road since before she could remember, so it wasn't as if she didn't know how to survive, and she was more then capable of looking after herself. No one would ever find her.

Oh, how tempting that notion was, to be free of everyone and not having to worry about letting them down or staring at their judgemental faces. But, as tempting as the idea was, she had to be practical about it. Wherever she went, whatever she did, she would always been seen as a young girl, and no one would ever believe she was anything other then that.

Could she really accept a life pretending to be someone she wasn't for the sake of appearance?

The answer was no.

At least here she didn't have to pretend. Almost everyone knew about her curse. They knew who she was, she didn't have to hide. And the idea of simply running away made her feel disgusted with herself, more then she already was. Running away was her father's tactic, not hers. But, she thought with a measure of dread, maybe it would be best for everyone if she did just disappear. As it stood, Akane may not even want her living under the same roof with her anymore, and Soun would not be so forgiving either. She couldn't blame them.

"_You really screwed up this time you jerk"_ she sighed miserably, still worried about whether or not she had seriously hurt the tom boy.

Without warning a pair of hands dropped over her face and covered her eyes from behind. "Guess who Ranma…"

Ranma groaned in irritation. "Go away Shampoo."

The blue haired girl hopped the bench and sat down next to the red head with an overly happy grin on her face, as if nothing was wrong, or their situation hadn't changed. Ranma worried that Shampoo still wanted to marry her, but she remembered Shampoo stating on several occasions that she didn't swing that way. If there was any good that came of this entire mess it was that she was free of the crazy Chinese girl and her manipulative ghoul of a great grandmother.

"No be like that, Shampoo only worried about Ranma" the other girl said with concerned mirrored in her eyes.

Ranma jumped up with an angry scrawl. "Well I didn't ask for you to be worried about me! Just leave me alone. My life is screwed up enough without having to worry about whether or not you're going to try to kill me or seduce me!"

Shampoo frowned. "Why you so angry? Shampoo only trying to be friend!"

The red stared incredulously at the other girl. "Why am I so angry? Why do you think I'm angry! Why is it so hard for everyone to understand why I'm so angry! My life is falling apart bit by bit and there's nothing I can do to stop it! I just hit smacked Akane across the room for trying to stop me from hitting my stupid father, and oh yeah, I'M STUCK IN THIS BODY!"

Shampoo blinked a couple of times. There was puzzlement in her eyes as the stared at the girl.

"Why is life falling apart?" the girl asked slowly.

"I'm a girl!" Ranma shouted in disbelief.

She didn't remember Shampoo being this stupid.

"But you is still Ranma on inside?" Shampoo asked, cocking her head sideways in confusion as if trying to discern something about Ranma that couldn't be seen. "You is different on the outside, but inside is still same. So why is life falling apart?"

Ranma went to tell her exactly why, but the words caught in her throat and her mind went blank. Shampoo continued to stare, waiting for her to explain, but the red head couldn't argue her point. She was still the same person on the inside. Angry and upset yes, but fundamentally she was still Ranma Saotome.

So why was it that everything was getting to her?

She had lived as a girl for most of the two weeks between when she and her father left Jusenkyo to when they arrived in Nerima because it had just been easier then trying to change back every time she got splashed with cold water. And again when Cologne had used the _Full Body Cat's Tongue_ on her, she had lived that entire time as a girl and that ended up being longer then two weeks. Granted she'd had a goal to focus on and knew that ultimately she could change back if she was willing to withstand the scolding pain that would have caused her. She had been too busy thinking of ways to retrieve the Phoenix then to stop and consider seriously that she was stuck in her female form. Fact was she hadn't felt different when she had been trapped in her form before. Not when Cologne did it, and not when Herb locked her in female form with the magic ladle.

With a sigh of miserable frustration she slumped back on to the park bench, dropping her head into hands. Her head hurt from everything flying about in it. She felt like screaming until there was nothing left to scream.

"I'm sorry Shampoo…" she said softly. "…for yelling at you like that."

"Is ok, Shampoo understand" the other girl smiled brightly.

Ranma felt a sudden tingle in the back of her mind as she sensed the approach of another person. She thought for a second that maybe it was Kasumi or her father even coming to find her, or Soun coming to rip her heart out for hurting his youngest daughter. Ranma saw the silhouette starting to emerge from the dark, and felt a strange sense of familiarity. Finally the person was close enough that Ranma could make out the features, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Ranma, is that you?"

….

…

…

…

….

Genma sat on the back porch staring intently at the pond across the yard. The hand print was still clearly marked on his face where Kasumi had hit him, and the miserable look in his eyes said it all. He sighed, feeling like the jerk he was and frowning darkly at the ground. It wasn't in his nature to admit when he had done something wrong, much less accept responsibility for it. But, this time he knew he had gone too far. That Kasumi had actually hit him was proof of that.

He kept seeing the rage and hatred burning in Ranma's eyes. He had done everything he could for his child growing up. Yes, he had been a sneak and a schemer and often sold the boy for food, but he never intended to leave the child behind. He was many things, he would admit and none of them good, but he wasn't that much of a monster. Although, his actions tonight said otherwise. He was starting to question whether or not Ranma was right.

Maybe he was nothing but an insensitive monster.

This wasn't the life he had envisioned for his son. He had dreamt of raising Ranma to be the pinnacle of martial arts, a legend that would be remembered forever for his incredible skill. Ranma was to be the 'man amongst men.' Combining both the Tendo and Saotome schools of Anything Goes Martial Arts had been his and Soun's dream since before their children were born. Ranma was to be the instrument through which they would accomplish that.

Now that dream was gone.

What would Nodoka say when she found out? He was afraid she would try to enforce the suicide pact if she found out her son was permanently a girl for the rest of her life. Or, perhaps worse yet she would try to turn Ranma into a girl mentally. Nodoka hadn't been overly picky about whether she had a son or daughter, but Genma remembered a number of times his wife saying how perfect it would be to have a little girl. He remembered seeing a twinge of regret in her eyes after she had given birth, but that didn't change how much she loved her son, but what would she do when she found out her son was now her daughter.

He feared for Ranma's mental state.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he nearly didn't notice Soun sit next to him on the back porch.

"How's Akane?" he asked carefully, knowing how protective his friend was of his daughters.

Soun lit up a cigarette calmly. "She's fine. Akane is made of stronger stuff than that Saotome. She's going to have a nasty bruise for a couple of days, but it's not the worst she's had, probably won't be the last either. Kasumi is the one you should be worried about. I haven't seen her that furious in many years."

"She reminds me of her mother. Gentle, yet hiding the fury of a volcano" Genma smiled fondly as he looked back on the old days, before Soun's wife had passed away. He sobered quickly though, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. It's my fault this happened."

Soun exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Yes…it is."

Genma winced at that.

"But, you didn't intend for things to go out of control the way they did. So as far I'm concerned there are no hard feelings. Kasumi on the other hand may be another story. She's become rather protective of Ranma these past few days. Tread carefully" his friend warned seriously.

Genma sighed with a small smile. "So much for the glorious future of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, eh Tendo?"

Soun shrugged. "For now perhaps, but maybe in the future there will be another chance for our two schools to unite."

"You can't possibly be suggesting that Ranma will have children" Genma cocked an eye brow doubtfully at his friend. "Ranma will never do that. She's barely handling this."

"She has the rest of her life ahead of her Genma" Soun explained calmly. "But maybe in time, when she's properly adjusted and accepted the way things are, she might actually **want** to have children. Would you deny her, if it was what she really wanted?"

"No, of course not" Genma replied sincerely, he rather liked the idea of being a grandfather one day, and Nodoka would most certainly want grandchildren. He just didn't see Ranma adjusting **that **well. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, he added, "Although it would be easier if we just threw Akane into the Spring of Drowned Young Man… Then the two of them would be perfect for each other, don't yah think Tendo?"

Soun almost choked on his cigarette. "Absolutely not! I forbid you to even think such things Saotome!"

Genma couldn't help but chuckle at the panicked and protective look in his friend's eyes. "Relax, I'm only joking. Akane would kill us both if we tried."

"That's not funny" Soun replied sourly, coughing a couple of more times. "You should really go and try to find Ranma. You shouldn't leave things like this unresolved. Especially under these circumstances."

Genma knew he was right, he wanted to go after Ranma and say he was sorry. She had been right, he had been a terrible father, blinded by his own ambitions for his child, and he had cost his child everything because of it. He had tried to do the best that he could; but, even he knew he had done some rotten things over the years. He couldn't see Ranma forgiving him; but, maybe if he took responsibility for his actions, she might one day. It wasn't much, but it might at least be a start.

"You're right my friend" Genma nodded seriously as he got to his feet. "I know what I need to do…"

Soun watched silently as his friend rounded the corner and disappeared…

Genma didn't waste any time for a change. He walked the streets for a long time, covering half of Nerima deep in thought as he went. It was late, no one else was out, save for a few stray cats and the occasional dog. Lights were on in the homes he passed. His courage and cowardice flared with every step he took, struggling against the urge to turn and run away as he usually did. He hated himself for it. He remembered a time when he wasn't the coward he was now. A time when he would have rather stood and faced his enemies head on with the same passion and conviction Ranma did, but the years had worn that out of him. In time he was left only with his greed and selfishness. He wasn't proud of that, not by any stretch.

Well not anymore, he would start making amends for his actions.

He found himself standing in front of a large older style house before long. It was a traditional Japanese style home and seemed somewhat out of place amongst some of the newer one's. He sighed, taking a deep breath before starting for the front door, noting the lights were on. He fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door without hesitation, closing it quietly behind him.

"_This is going to be a long night"_ he thought as he navigated his way along the hall. He paused before the entrance to the living room, took another deep breath and stepped forward. "Nodoka, we need to –"

He froze as he stepped into the dining room, terror seizing his heart as he found Nodoka sitting beside Ranma with her katana laid across the table and two pairs of eyes glaring furiously at his presence.

He swallowed fearfully, his worse nightmare realized.

Having to deal with an angry wife and an angry daughter …

"_Oh, Kami help me"_

_**To Be Continued**_

A/N: Wow, I had a lot of trouble wrapping this chapter up. It just kept going and going! As it is this isnt entirely how I planned to end chapter 2, but never the less I'm reasonably satisfied with the end result. I hope the rest of you are. There was a lot of angst in this chapter, and you're all probably thinking,_ for god sakes, get over it Ranma!_

Well I'm hoping this will be the last of the overabundance of angst and I can start manoeuvring the story towards other things. I wanted to get the angst crap out of the way as soon as possible, so I'm not bogged down with it through everything else.

Also, chapter 3 may take a little longer to get done and posted. I have a few things on my plate this week for class that I need to take care of first and foremost, but I will try to get chapter 3 up as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3 Burden of the Eternal Lost Boy

Chapter 3

_Burden of the Eternal Lost Boy_

Was it possible to feel both despair and joy at the same time Ranma wondered as she knelt there at the table, a warm cup of tea resting between her hands and striving to drive the coldness of the night from her skin. Right now she thought it was. Despair still riddled her body over everything that had happened, yet at the same time she felt joy at being with her mother. Joy at the fact that her mother wasn't angry or disappointed with her or in what had happened to her. Even still, despair and joy were not the only things she was feeling. There were so many emotions threatening to overwhelm her at the moment, and anger was still at the forefront of them all.

Only, now it had a new target to focus on.

She focused on the dark liquid, frowning as she thought of the last couple of days she had spent with Kasumi like this. She realized it wasn't something she would have likely done were she still a guy; or was she simply over thinking things again? After all, it wasn't unmanly for men to drink tea or participate in tea ceremonies.

She sighed; everything was too confusing.

Her talk with Shampoo had rattled her already unstable mind and forced her to reconsider certain things about herself, or rather the way she was acting. Not simply because the Chinese girl had made sense, but because the girl had been right. She felt like her life was falling apart, and it was. But, was that because she was stuck as a girl forever or was it because she was letting the situation get to her so badly? Was she simply making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Probably the latter.

The red head glanced up at her mother, sitting only a couple of feet away, and then to the katana laying ominously across the table. Her mother had surprised her once more. When she had told the woman about what had happened, that she was trapped forever and that her son may as well be dead, Nodoka's first reaction was to wrap her up in her arms and hold her tight, whispering apologies for having not been there when she had needed her.

Oh the feeling of warmth and joy she had felt in that moment, like nothing could possibly worry or harm her. It was little things like this that she hadn't been able to experience growing up; the warmth and protection of a mother's loving embrace…

Because of him…she thought bitterly

"I'm sorry you had to see me this way," Ranma apologised softly.

Nodoka tilted her head ever so slightly in response and reached out to grab the red head's hand, squeezing it gently and reassuringly. "You have nothing to apologize for dear."

"It's not very manly though," the girl pointed out with her eyes cast downward from self imposed shame.

Nodoka sighed, suddenly realizing the source of Ranma's self doubt. "I wish we had never made that silly pact; it's been nothing but trouble. It was stupid then and it's stupid now. It kept me from seeing you grow up, from being there with you, and worse it made you afraid of me when you found out…I wanted to see you become a man yes, but your fool father twisted that to his own silly definition. As long as you grew up to be an honourable, caring and courageous person I didn't care who you were. For all your father's faults, he managed to raise you right."

Ranma felt both a flush of pride in her suddenly warm cheeks, and guilt in the pit of her stomach, thinking again about Akane. Her mother hadn't said anything about that when she had spilt her guts to her, after being brought here from the park, feeling the need to get it all off her chest.

Nodoka gently tilted the red head's chin up, so that she was forced to look her mother in the eye. "Don't sell yourself short honey; I know what kind of person you are. You have dealt with things most people would have been overwhelmed by and you have come through it. I'm proud of you dear, proud of who you have become. I do not care what you look like, and no one else does either because you are still Ranma Saotome, ok?"

Ranma nodded with difficultly. Her neck suddenly felt like wood and the gesture empty.

She didn't feel worthy of such praise right at that moment.

"Nodoka…"

Ranma's eyes widened and her face twisted angrily, her mother's expression mirroring her own as her father's voice suddenly echoed through the house from the hall.

They looked up just as he stepped into the door way.

"…we need to –"

It should have bee satisfying to see the look of absolute terror suddenly carved into the old man's face; to see him freeze in horror at the sight of them and their furious gaze. But the mere sight of him and knowing what he had done fuelled the rage she felt inside. As she glared, Ranma felt her battle aura suddenly roll off her and fill the room with a coldness that could have frozen the walls. She would not have been surprised to have seen ice starting to appear.

"We need to what dear?" Nodoka asked suddenly. "Talk?"

Even Ranma couldn't help but flinch at the venom laced in her mother's tone.

Genma could only swallow in fear.

"You're right dear…We have **a lot** to talk about" Nodoka continued with a growl, climbing to her feet and grabbing her katana as she did.

For a second Ranma almost thought her mother was going to kill him. And, judging from how rapidly the colour drained from her father's face so did he…

"How could you Genma Saotome!" Nodoka demanded. "You told me Ranma was on a training trip! This whole time my child has been in pain and you kept me from being there, AGAIN! It was bad enough when you didn't tell me about the curse, but to hide this from me! How could I have been so stupid to have believed you! How could you be so inconsiderate, you evil, selfish man? How could you lie to me when something this important has happened! Do we mean so little to you that you can lie to us so easily!"

"That's not true!" her father looked hurt by that accusation. "I came here to tell you the truth! I didn't know what to do to help he – him!"

"You had two and a half weeks to tell me the truth you stupid man! You should have told me when I first returned! You should have contacted me as soon as you knew what happened! But you didn't! How can you be so heartless?" Nodoka shouted, knuckles turning white from how tight she was gripping the hilt of her blade. "I am so disgusted with you that it makes me sick!"

"I thought I was protecting him!" Genma tried desperately. "I thought you might enforce the suicide pact!"

Nodoka suddenly seemed to grow to enormous heights; seeming to absorb all the light and heat from the room until only the fiery rage in her eyes was the only source of light left, highlighting the furious look in her face.

"YOU WERE THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH THAT STUPID PACT!" she screamed so loud that the house almost shook, causing her cowardly husband to step back cautiously. Though barely contained, the woman regained a measure of composure so that only her body shook with rage, and added. "Don't you dare, use that as an excuse for your shameful behaviour! I am sick and tired of that always being your reason!"

Ranma stare in disbelief, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe and even a little bit of amazement. She didn't think she would ever see someone capable of anger that could rival Akane's. She could only swallow nervously, suddenly feeling a small amount of pity for her old man, before reminding herself that he deserved everything he got at the moment.

She turned to look at her father's expression, one of hurt.

That he could even manage that look filled her with anger. What did he have to feel hurt over! He was the one that had done wrong! He was the one that had lied when he didn't have to. He had no right to feel hurt by those words when he had caused so much pain already. As far as she was concerned he deserved everything he got for all the crap he had done in the past and placed the burdens of on her shoulders.

At that moment, she wanted him to disappear.

"I'm sorry" Genma said finally, sincerely.

Ranma resisted the urge to deck him.

Glancing from the corner of her eye, Nodoka seemed to notice that Genma's presence was not serving the red head well. The look of hurt, built up from years of humiliations and shame at her father's actions was evident in the young girl eyes, and her mother would not have it anymore.

Nodoka turned to her husband. "Leave now, and don't come back until you become the honourable and caring man I married, because right now I don't even want to look at you let alone accept that I'm married to you."

Genma looked shocked. "But, I have a right to be here!"

Ranma blinked only for a second, but that was all it took for her mother to close the distance between herself and her husband, the edge her katana blade pressed lightly against his throat. Ranma gaped, worried that for a moment that her mother really would kill her father this time. Genma was paralysed with terror as the cool edge touched his flesh, his life probably flashing before his eyes, Ranma realized.

"You listen to me because I am only going to say this once!" the housewife snarled viciously. "You have as many rights as I say you have and right now you have none! I have given you chance after chance and you continue to lie and cheat and steal for the sake of sating your own silly whims and hiding behind honour when it suits **YOU! **Right now I have the right to cut your throat open and watch you bleed to death for everything you've done and caused to happen because of your actions! Most of all I should kill you for making my child afraid of me!"

The room fell deathly silent as Genma trembled and listened to his wife. Ranma was rooted in place, staring in disbelief at her mother as the older woman lay into her husband with the flesh lashing words. Ranma saw pain in her mother's eyes. It was obvious she still loved the man, but if he stayed and continued to cause her more pain, her mother would kill him to protect her. Her father had finally crossed a line that his usual lame excuses were not going to get him out of this mess he had gotten himself into. Ranma wondered if this was the pain her mother had held in for all those years her husband and taken their child; realizing with each passing and torturous day that she was missing another small piece of her son's life; simply because her husband didn't think a mother should be involved in her son's training, that it would make him weak.

This was a long time coming Ranma realized.

It hadn't happened when she found out Genma had tried on numerous occasions to stop Ranma from revealing the truth to her, simply because she was too over joyed at having her son back, despite his curse which she had been able to see pass. But now, Genma had finally gone too far and all his past discretions were going to be paid for.

Nodoka's voice lowered to a harsh whisper Ranma could barely hear. "You are not the man I married. The mere sight of you makes me ill, knowing the pain you have caused. Until you become the man I use to love and adore, and gave my heart to, you will leave this place and never return. Or I swear upon the honour of my family, I will kill you without a second thought… Now leave here at once…"

Genma stood rooted to the spot, body trembling and his eyes filled with hurt and guilt, shame threatening to crush him, Ranma thought as she stared at him with contempt. When he turned to look at her, as if hoping for some protest or lingering loyalty from the child he had raised and trained, she turned away, refusing to look at him. With a sigh, her father hung his head, turned and disappeared into the hall. A few seconds later the door was heard closing behind him.

Ranma looked down suddenly, realizing she had been clutching at the hem of her blouse anxiously and so tightly her fingers were starting to hurt.

"_What is wrong with me?"_

….

…

…

…

….

Akane stared miserably out of the class room window, eyes distant and sad with a worried glaze. The bruise over her left cheek looked nasty, even though it was starting to heal. The injury had caused the young girl's friends to flock around her protectively with a storm of questions that never seemed to cease long enough for her to answer, not that she had tried to anyway, despite the best efforts of those around her.

Ukyo knew something wasn't right.

Perhaps she hadn't known the girl for as long as these others had, who had grown up with her, but the Okonomiyaki chef had certainly known the Tendo girl long enough to know when something was wrong. Whatever had happened had to have been something serious or else Akane would have been a twisted bundle of rage and short tempered snaps at anyone who asked the wrong question. Instead she was somewhere else, somewhere far away caught up in problems that Ukyo thought she knew the red headed, bright sparkling blue eyed source of.

And that troubled her more then Akane's behavior. But, she'd be damned if she could get the girl alone for five minutes to talk to her properly.

This was one of the few times that Akane had been given some peace from her gaggle of girlfriends, but only because class was in session, which gave Ukyo no opportunity either to talk to her, and she was starting to get very irritated. So instead she tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, but inevitably her mind wandered to other matters. So much seemed to be changing, but yet it all remained unchanged at the same time.

It was confusing.

She could only imagine what it was like for her Ran-chan…

That gave her thought to pause.

_Her_ Ran-chan.

It didn't have the same sound to it anymore. Thinking that used to induce thoughts of fancy about the future she could have had with Ranma Saotome; the man she had been arranged to marry through a silly bargain their fathers had made with one another. She knew Ranma didn't remember anything about it but it had meant so much to her. She had put those feelings aside for so long that it nearly overwhelmed her when she realized Ranma's actual innocence in the whole event. She had seen hope again where there had only been despair and pain. But, now she was wondering if she hadn't just been clinging on to Ranma, thinking he was her only hope for a happy future and in restoring her honour which Genma Saotome had left in tatters…

Now… Whenever she thought of Ran-chan, she didn't feel the same love she use to. Not that way at least. She was starting to think she had tricked herself into loving Ranma, and now that he was female, that spell had been broken. It irked her that she could be that shallow, but it was the cold hard truth that her, romantic attraction to the martial artist, was gone. On the bright side, she knew without a doubt that she wasn't attracted to other girls - not that she had a problem with that, and was opened to the idea **if** it ever occurred - which she had started to think she was when she realized she had no problem with Ranma's curse. Of course she preferred Ranma as male, but she had never been bothered as much as Akane and Shampoo had been by it…

Ukyo was jolted out of her thoughts by the bell, jumping in alarm and sending her pencil scattering across the table as she lost control of it. Everyone was piling out of the room quickly and Akane was swarmed by her friends just as quickly and swept out of the classroom before she could even blink.

Ukyo could only watch in frustration.

She had had enough….

It was only lunch time so she knew where Akane would be and she was determined to get answers this time, no matter what.

Sure enough she found Akane sitting quietly under one of the trees making small talk with her friends, trying desperately to divert attention from the bruise but it wasn't going so well. At one glance she saw that Akane was starting to get distressed at the constant barrage of questions, which had only grown more persistent each time she tried not to answer them.

What was wrong with these girls, Ukyo wondered angrily, couldn't the gossiping fools see they were only doing more harm then good.

"Ok, that's enough you lot!" Ukyo barked with an angry scowl. "Leave her alone now!"

"Who asked you?" one of the girls asked with a challenging cock of her eye brow.

"Yeah!" another one pipped up. "You going to make us?"

Ukyo pulled out one of spatula shurikens. "You wanna find out Sugar?"

The gaggle of girls fell silent as they suddenly remembered just who the hell she was and what she was capable of. Her promising threat took the wind right out of their sails. One by one they trailed off and disappeared. The entire time Ukyo held herself poised, ready to strike; she would hold back of course but she had no problem with smacking these idiots around if they pushed her.

Akane was left looking at Ukyo in confusion, as if she couldn't understand why she would do this.

"Thank you," the girl said finally, quiet and unsure.

"Yeah well, don't thank me yet Sugar," Ukyo replied with a frown as she sat down next to the girl. "What's going on? I've never seen you like this before…

Akane opened her mouth to speak when Ryoga suddenly appeared; walking dazed and lost out of the forest behind the school. There was more life in Akane's eyes then there had been in days, but they were full of concern. As she jumped up and ran over to him.

Ukyo clenched her teeth in frustration.

"Ryoga! Are you alright?" Akane asked quickly. "I'm so sorry about what Ranma did. She didn't mean what she said."

A depressed glaze shone across the boy's eyes. "No, she meant every word. She was right. It was my fault she's trapped….Akane, what happened to your cheek? Who did this to you?"

Ukyo wanted to slap the lost boy on the back for asking the right question.

"That's what I was trying to find out," she jumped in to remind them she was there.

They both looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer. The girl looked at them hesitantly, as if inwardly torn.

Her eyes looked watery as she let loose a heavy sigh.

"It was Ranma," Akane replied quietly.

Both Ukyo and Ryoga recoiled in shock, staring at Akane as if they couldn't believe her. The size of the bruise and how slow it was healing spoke for itself. Ukyo couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not her Ranma, she wouldn't hit Akane, not like this, not ever. She was sorely attempted to call Akane a liar, but the miserable look in the girl's eye said it all.

Even still, Ukyo couldn't believe it. _"No! Ranma wouldn't!"_

Akane saw the looks of horror in their faces immediately and shook her head rapidly in alarm. "No! It's not like that! She didn't mean to do it…Ranma and Mr. Saotome got into a really bad argument and I tried to stop her from hitting her father, and she accidentally hit me instead. It **WAS** an accident. Ranma was horrified and ran off when it happened. She's been staying with her mother ever since, and Mr Saotome has disappeared without a word…"

Ukyo felt a wave of relief wash over her. Of course Ranma wouldn't willing or knowingly hit Akane.

"What! That swine Saotome struck my precious Akane!"

Ukyo resisted the urge to groan loudly. _"Not him…Anyone but that fool!"_

She whirled around at the same time Ryoga did, to see Kuno standing there, trembling with barely contained rage as he stared at the bruise on Akane's face. She knew immediately that Kuno didn't hear Akane call Ranma a she, all he heard was what he wanted to hear.

"Go away Kuno, you don't know what you're talking about." Ukyo knew it would do no good, but someone had to go on record as saying it.

He pushed past her and Ryoga without hesitation and went straight to Akane, catching the girl by surprise and taking her hands in his.

"I, Tatewaki Kuno the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High school will allow no further harm to come to thee Akane Tendo. I shall slay that vile coward Saotome with my bare hands and we shall live happily ever after!" the upper class man announced for the entire school to hear.

Akane's bewildered look turned to one of rage. "Kuno -"

"**YOU TAKE THAT BACK!**"

Everyone turned to see Ryoga trembling as angrily as Kuno had just been, only Ryoga's battle aura was burning around him like an inferno as his muscles tensed and his face twisted in a rage that in the past had been reserved almost entirely for Ranma.

Both Akane and Ukyo stared in shock at the reaction Kuno's words had triggered in the lost boy. The Okonomiyaki chef felt a tingle of fear spread through her spine and step back unconsciously. She knew exactly what Ryoga was capable of when he was mad and she had no desire to be caught in the middle of it.

Although he ushered Akane to the side, Kuno however stared at the other boy, oblivious to the growing danger to himself. Ukyo almost found herself shouting at him to run, but the words failed her, catching in her chest.

"And why would you care? I know you despise that craven dog almost as much as I…Apologize now and I will forget your indiscretion," Kuno dismissively replied, never once losing that arrogant tone of imagined superiority.

The ground around Ryoga's feet cracked suddenly. "Ranma is not a coward! I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Ranma's sacrifice and I won't let you disrespect her name with your lies! **NOW TAKE IT BACK!**"

Kuno sniffed. "I would rather die then lower myself to that. Be gone you simple fool and tell that cowardly wretch I will slay him for his misdeeds against the fair Akane Tendo!"

"If you won't take it back, I'll make you!" Ryoga snarled as he shrugged of his travelling pack and held his bamboo umbrella at the ready.

The kendoist laughed cockily. "You would do battle with your better? What foolishness possesses you? But, if you wish to die so badly then by all means, come hither you swine!"

By this point dozens of students had gathered to see what the commotion was all about. The tension in the air was overwhelming. Ukyo could only stare in disbelief at the change in Ryoga. His battle aura twisted and surged, pulsing with fury. There was a fire in Ryoga's eyes, born of anger as he stared at the upper class man, ready and willing to fight with total abandonment. There was no rational reasoning in his expression. Ukyo felt her heart pounding like a jack hammer as she stared between the two. Kuno's smug look, as if he had already won did nothing to help matters.

Kuno flew suddenly across the distance between the two of them, his bokken cutting through the air like it was a real sword instead of one made of wood. His weapon crashed against Ryoga's, jarring the boy's wrist. Kuno kept running forward, pushing the lost boy back as he went, driving him through the gathered crowd and slamming him into a tree. Ryoga grunted, clenched his teeth and heaved against the kendoist, snorting through his nose like an enraged bull. Kuno jumped back, only to fly forward again, his wooden blade coming up from the side with lightning speed.

Ryoga ducked sideways as the blade came sweeping up and grazed the side of his head, the air pressure slicing off a couple of strands of hair and cutting a clean line along the side of his forehead. Ryoga spun around as the swordsman tried to regain his balance, and swung his umbrella into the fool, putting all his momentum and force behind it. But, Kuno's blade appeared between him and the weapon with blinding speed, blocking the attack and sending him sliding backwards.

Ryoga spat angrily and pulled away a couple of headbands flinging the deadly throwing weapons at the wanna-be samurai with murderous intent, but Kuno was relentless, knocking them out of the with his signature air pressure attack.

"It will take more then that to finish the great Tatewaki Kuno!" He laughed tauntingly as Ryoga's rage exploded around him.

The fool, Ukyo thought, he had no idea how much danger he was in.

All of a sudden Ryoga was rushing through the swordsman's attack. Kuno reared back in surprise as the other boy roared slamming his fist into Kuno's face with a devastating blow. The kendoist flew backwards, slamming against a tree with a cry of pain, the massive tree toppling backwards with a resounding crack.

Students gasped as a spray of red mist flew from Kuno's mouth as the boy fell to his knee's.

"Get up Kuno!" Ryoga ordered.

Kuno was doing just that. His arm almost buckled under him but he pushed past the pain and climbed to his feet; staggering a couple of steps as he glared hatefully at the lost boy, as if realizing finally how serious this fight was.

Ukyo couldn't believe how angry Ryoga was.

"You will pay for that peasant" Kuno growled.

Ryoga clenched his fist around the umbrella's hilt. "And you're going to regret insulting Ranma Saotome you jerk!"

Kuno's eyes twinkled accusingly. "Ah I understand now! You and that sorcerous scoundrel Saotome endeavour to keep the Pig Tailed Girl and the precious Akane Tendo for yourselves! Well I swear I will put a stop to your deviant plans!"

Ukyo slapped her hand against her forehead. _"Idiot!"_

Kuno launched at Ryoga.

"_**Bakusai Tenketsu!"**_

Ryoga drove his attack into the swordsman's wooden blade.

The sword came apart in an explosive shower of splintered fragments that blasted backwards into the kendoist, slicing through his gi and skin with spurts of blood, and embedded in his flesh. Kuno's eyes flew open in shock and disbelief. Ryoga battered aside his opponents hands and slammed him into the ground with little hesitation, and started to lay into him with a storm of rage and fists, spit spraying across the swordsman. Kuno cried out with each punch, his face getting bloodier and bloodier as the red fluid coughed out over him.

"Ryoga stop it!" Akane scream. "He's had enough! You've won!"

But he wasn't listening.

He was like a Viking berserker.

Ukyo pulled a tightly bound packet from her pocket and hauled it into the back of the lost boy's head. A cloud of sleeping powder exploded around the boy's head as he whipped around to glare at her, even as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and then collapsed to the ground in a heap and passed out.

Ukyo was breathing hard as students started to scream for help. Kuno was hurt badly, he was barely moving and his chest heaved with effort.

She did the only thing she could.

She ran forward, grabbed Ryoga around the waist and disappeared into the forest…

….

…

…

…

….

An array of smells hung in the air; mixtures of various smells all combining together to create a mouth watering aroma that reached far into the depths of Ryoga's mind and drew him from his unconsciousness. Deep green orbs blinked slowly, trying to clear the fog that clouded his mind and made his head feel heavy. He was no stranger to unconsciousness, but this was without a doubt one of the more unpleasant times he had woken up from being knocked out, by whatever means. He was more use to being knocked out from physical attacks during a fight then anything else and the aches that accompanied it afterwards.

Like a light bulb turning on his head memories suddenly came rushing back to him; of Kuno pinned beneath him and his fists smashing into the swordsman with terrifying anger. He remembered something colliding with the back of his head, a cloud of powder engulfing him and he turned around to glare at…

_Ukyo!_

The teenager bolted out of bed irritably, and almost face planted into the ground when his legs nearly buckled under him.

What the hell had she done to him, he wondered as he held his head in his hands and tried to quell the spinning that took him. With reluctance he slumped back on to the couch he had been laying on. He couldn't squash the feeling of annoyance that surged through him, gnawing at his pride like a ravenous rat chewing through a steel pipe.

How dare she, interfere in a fight between men like that.

"Thought I heard groaning."

He looked up in surprise as Ukyo walked in suddenly carrying a plate of okonomiyaki that he couldn't deny, smelt absolutely divine, but he refused to show as much on his face and glared irritably.

"Oh don't look at me like that sugar. You should be thanking me," Ukyo rolled her eyes at him dismissively. "You were going to kill that deluded moron. You're lucky I stopped you when I did."

"And he would have deserved it!" Ryoga snapped, balling his fist tightly. "I know Ranma and I haven't always been great friends, but damn it! Ranma doesn't deserve to be insulted that way, especially not by the likes of that moron and not after what she's sacrificed. I had to do something!"

"And how would Akane look at you afterwards? And if you think Ranma hates you now but if you killed someone in her name, she really would kill you. Even if it was Kuno," she said with a hard edge to her eyes as she brushed aside the anger directed at her and shoved the plate into his hands. "You've known Ranma long enough to know that. Tell me I'm wrong!"

He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her exactly that, but the words caught in his throat and died away just as quickly. Ukyo was right. Akane would never have been able to look at him the same way ever again.

And, he knew Ranma well enough to know that killing was something she didn't like.

Ryoga blinked suddenly, frowning deeply in thought.

_She…_

When did they start referring to Ranma as a girl? When had they started to use she and her when they talked about her? It wasn't the first time he had thought about this. He had tried to force himself to think of Ranma as the guy he knew was inside the red head's body; that was the core of her soul, but he always ended up coming back to thinking of her as a girl. It hadn't been like that when she could change back and forth at will, but now it just didn't feel right…

"I should have been faster," he muttered angrily.

Ukyo cocked her head slightly with a puzzled look in her eye. "What do you mean?"

Ryoga sneered at himself. "I should have been faster. I should have been able to stop the Guardian from doing this to Ranma. This is all my fault because I wasn't good enough."

"That wasn't your fault!" Ukyo replied, her features set in a firm expression that left little room to argue with. "I know about what Ranma said to you, but she's still reeling from what's happened. Once she's had time to accept what's happened she'll realize that there was nothing you could do to stop what happened."

Ryoga wasn't convinced. "You've never had to live with the fear of being trapped forever in a body that isn't your own. Its not as simple accepting that it happened and moving on, Ukyo. Ranma has every reason to hate me, and I can't begrudge her that right."

"Ryoga, you've know Ranma about as well as I do," she replied calmly. "Have you ever known Ranma to hold a grudge for very long?"

He gave her a withering stare, but couldn't deny her reasoning, were this a normal case of Ranma simply being temporarily trapped. But, this was far from normal, even for their strange social circle. Ranma had every reason to hold a grudge, whether it was rational or not. Was he the only one that realized how hard this was for her, or how hard it was going to be.

They all seemed to expect Ranma to simply get over it.

"Its not going to be as simple as you all want it to be," he warned seriously. "You all think Ranma is just going to get over this and move on with her life, but you're wrong. You have no idea what Ranma is going through."

Ukyo bristled at his comments. "And you do?"

"No!" He snapped angrily, jumping to his feet. "None of us do, but I'm not going to delude myself into thinking that this is easy for her!"

Silence fell between them as she stared at him wide eyed. Ryoga didn't realize he was breathing so heavily at first, not until he felt his heart racing. He blinked a couple of times, feeling the anger coursing through him. His words had been laced with it. Ukyo stared at him warily, and why not? She had already watched him turn Kuno into a bloody mess for insulting Ranma's honor.

Why was he so angry though?

Was it guilt for being responsible for the position Ranma was in now?

Or, was it frustration that he was the only one that saw the truth of the situation?

He sagged back into the chair. He was tired. Tired of being confused over things that had been so clear and obvious in the past. Ranma was no longer the obstacles to Akane's affections, he should have been jumping for joy. But what of Akari? He loved the girl, but he was starting to question if it was real love, or did he simply cling to her as a safe option because she loved pigs, even though he had no fondness for them himself. On the other hand, he could never tell Akane the truth, that he was P-chan and he knew it was only a matter of time before she found out. Ranma had always been there to keep his secret. Sure she had teased him tirelessly and scared him with threats, but he knew she would never have exposed his deception to the girl.

But if Ranma was no longer around to help him…

Or worse, if she was no long willing to help or even attempted to expose his secret to spite him, then where did that leave him now?

With a sigh he thought back to simpler times, back before curses and Jusenkyo and crazy miracle cures. Back to when all he cared about was avenging himself against Ranma for stealing his bread and then "running out" on their fight.

He felt older now. He wasn't sure if he could consider himself wiser, but he was certainly more experienced. For one so young he had seen and done much.

He refocused on Ukyo, noticing the uncertain gaze in her eyes, tinged with a fear of what she knew he was capable of doing if he lost it. Ryoga as suspired to find that that hurt more then any physical attack he had ever suffered. That any girl could look at him and think he would hurt he…

"I'm sorry," he murmured apologetically. "I didn't mean to lose my temper."

Ukyo blushed, angrily at herself he thought. "You're wrong."

"About?" he asked warily.

"We're not deluding ourselves," she replied firmly. "We just don't know how we're suppose to help her through this. We're all trying to deal with this in our own way and its not fair of you to say we don't get it when we're trying out best."

Ryoga nodded slowly. She was right.

"Truth is Ryoga, you're probably the only one that has the faintest clue of what Ranma might be going through. Mousse and Shampoo hate their cursed forms too, but you have the longest history with her than they do and Genma is a stupid jack ass that just doesn't know how to help Ranma. You though, you're similar to her, you're probably the closest thing to an equal Ranma has ever had, whether she would admit it or not," she explained slowly.

Ryoga shook his head. "No, I've done enough damage. And I can't imagine what Ranma is going through. I have nightmares about being trapped, but I can't even begin to imagine what being trapped in as a girl is like. Ranma may still think like a guy, but we would be stupid to think that her situation isn't affecting how she feels and what she experiences. I'm not a smart person Ukyo, but even I understand there's a vast sea separating men and women. You should know that."

"So you don't want to help her?" Ukyo glared.

"I would give anything to help Ranma if I knew I could! If I could go back in time and stop it all from happening I would!" he hissed dangerously at her tone. "I'm the one responsible after all, so of course I want to help and the best thing I can do is stay well away from her."

"That's just an excuse to avoid her!" she accused.

"Feel free to think whatever you want. You didn't see the pain and loss in Ranma's eyes when she looked at me. You didn't see the hate and anger." Ryoga set aside the Okonomiyaki and got up no longer feeling hungry and stared for the door, pausing only to glance back over his shoulder. "Before you judge me, why don't _**you **_go and talk to her.?"

And then he was gone…


	4. Chapter 4: Fading Ferment

Chapter 4

_Fading Ferment_

She was spinning.

The world around her was a blur of color as the ground disappeared beneath her, dropping her into the swirl of overpowering brightness. The air whooshed from her lungs making it difficult to breath. Ranma grabbed at her chest, screaming as she fell, legs kicking at empty air and panic forcing droplets of tears from the corners of her eyes as her hair came loose of the pig tail and billowed upwards, whipping at her face and terror stricken blue orbs.

Then all of a sudden she was in a room…

Light spilled in through the window like a shower of golden warmth and chased the shadows away. Young women rushed about in an excited panic, dressed in beautiful gowns of the softest pink, helping each other with their make up and adjusting their dresses. Ranma blinked in confusion, finding herself looking around in a dazed manner; blinking again and again, trying to figure out what was going on as she watched Akane scold Nabiki for making some crude joke that the red head had missed. Her eyes darted across the room to where Ukyo and Shampoo were having a friendly yet heated discussion about which of them was the better chef.

Why was everyone dressed up she wondered, frowning inwardly at the feeling that something was incredibly and horribly wrong.

Suddenly her mother was standing in front of her, tears of pride and joy streaming down her face, dabbing at her cheeks with a wad of tissues. Ranma noticed with growing confusion that her mother was dressed up too and looked stunning.

"Oh Ran-chan, you look so beautiful!" her mother cried emotionally.

The other girls seemed to notice her at last and she felt a shiver run down her spine at seeing her three fiancée's getting along so perfectly. It seemed unnatural, as though it were against the laws of the nature. She thought the world might explode if Kodachi were here as well. Just what the hell was going on?

"Your dress looks so beautiful" Akane sighed.

"Huh!"

Ranma whirled around to a full length mirror, and let loose a blood curdling scream. She was dressed in a western style wedding gown of the purest white complete with flowery frills and low cut neck line that showed off her cleavage. Her hair was let loose so that her red locks spilt across her shoulders and framed her face and sparkling, horrified blue eyes.

"No! NO!" she shouted her hands came up to the side of her head as she shook it frantically. "NO! I'm not a girl! THIS ISN'T ME!"

"Sounds like someone's nervous," Nabiki teased, the other girls giggling in response.

"Oh don't be mean Nabiki, this is a big day for her," Kasumi chided gently.

"What the hell is going on! Why the hell am I wearing a wedding dress!" Ranma demanded, trembling with fear and rage. "I want answers now!"

Nodoka tilted her head slightly. "But, honey…it's your wedding day…"

Ranma gawked at her mother like she was crazy. "I'm a guy! I aint getting married like this!"

Her mother gave her a patient look. "Honey, I know you're a tomboy, but today's your wedding day. It's ok to be girly today."

"I-AM-A-GUY!" she screamed, tears of frustration springing to her eyes.

Nodoka sighed tolerantly. "Dear, I think I know what sex the child I gave birth to is. Now stop this silliness, you're gonna ruin your makeup."

Oh god, Ranma moaned inwardly in horror, she was wearing makeup! She could feel it on her face and smelt it over the perfume.

The gathered women stared at her as if she was having a mental breakdown. Maybe she was. She was too frightened and confused, too panicked to think straight. Her heart was pounding so hard that it felt like a herd of wilder beasts was trampling her chest, crushing her sanity.

They all turned around at an intrusive knock at the door. A person stuck their head in through the door and Ranma nearly screamed in disbelief..

She was staring at herself!

Her male self!

The male Ranma cocked an eyebrow. "Is my little sister ready yet or what? Everyone's getting restless…"

"**NO!"**

Ranma shot up in bed with a strangled terrified cry, staring wide eyed around the room and shaking like a leaf. Adrenalin surging through her body making her blood feel like it was on fire. It was a while before she realized that she was in her room, safe and sound. That it had all been a nightmare and that everything she'd seen wasn't real. Not that that helped to calm her already shaken nerves. She stared down at her trembling hands, like they belonged to another person, on the verge of hyper ventilating.

"_What the hell was that!_

There was nausea swirling around in the pit of her stomach and the urge to throw up was strong. It had felt so real. The warmth of the room, the sounds and smell, the heavy scent of the perfume and the feel of the makeup…It made her shudder violently and screw up her face in disgust.

A red lock of hair fell across her eyes suddenly.

She frowned and reached behind her head and felt for her pig tail, but instead all she felt was a mass of hair falling down below her shoulders. She glanced behind her and saw the string she used to tie her hair up with, broken in two pieces on the pillow. She sighed, realizing she must have been tossing and turning roughly enough to have broken the string in her sleep.

"_Great, now I gotta find something else to use,"_ she grumbled.

It wasn't a big problem of course. Compared to everything else that had happened it was a very small matter, an inconvenience that could be rectify quick and easily. The last thing she wanted at the moment though was looking even more feminine.

She slumped backwards in the bed, letting an exasperated whoosh of air from her lungs as she did, sinking into the softness of the mattress. It still felt odd to be sleeping in an actual bed. All her life had been spent sleeping on futons or in sleeping bags. She was use to hard floors, not soft beds. But it was comfortable she had to admit, and nice and warm, more so then just a futon and a thin sheet.

Ranma was the first to admit that she had adjusted well to living with her mother in the last week that she had been living here. It had been quiet and she didn't feel the same pressure she had when living with the Tendo's where everyone was tip toeing around her like she was a piece of glass that would shatter without warning. It wasn't that her mother wasn't worried about her; she was, but her mother didn't treat her like she was going to break and kept her busy without overwhelming her. It didn't keep her mind off anything - nothing could - but it helped to give her something to do rather then sit around moping or working her frustration out on innocent training dummies. Her mother had even taken to having Ranma help out in the kitchen. Something she found she didn't mind that much. She had proven before to her mother and Akane - though a bitter victory in itself – that she was quiet good at cooking if she wanted to be.

Her mother explained that it didn't hurt for her to know how to cook properly if she was home alone, or for when she inevitably moved out and went to university; something Ranma wasn't overly keen about, but she didn't think this was the time to argue with her mother about something like that. After all, what did she need with an education? She was a martial artist. She had probably taken that many blows to the head - especially while growing up - that she would never be smart enough to get into university and what would she study even if she did? It wasn't as if she was good at anything other then fighting.

She honestly didn't understand how she had made it through school this long.

But then again, it was Furinkan High. It wasn't exactly filled with the brightest bunch of people she had ever met so the standards weren't that high to live up to.

With the exception of Nabiki, she conceded quickly.

Frankly she was just happy to finally be getting to know her mother better and she wasn't going to jeopardize that just yet over something as silly as school.

The red head glanced at the clock, sighed and forced herself up, deciding that she couldn't stay in bed all day. She grabbed a change of clothes and went to the bathroom, doused herself with the bucket of cold water and hopped in the western style shower her mother had had installed in the otherwise traditional style Japanese bathroom. It was quicker and easier.

When she was done she changed into her clean clothes - a long sleeved pale blue Chinese silk top similar to what she use to wear, and a pair of black slacks - and headed down stairs, already aware of the mouth watering smells emanating from the kitchen. She was ready to chow down.

Ranma yawned as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. "Hmmm…that smells goo-"

What she wasn't ready for, was to find Ukyo laughing and chatting away to her mother like they were old friends and eagerly helping to make breakfast. She suddenly felt more awake and continued to stare in surprise, wondering what the other girl was doing here. Part of her having long ago developed an instinctive wariness of Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi, or rather of the schemes they concocted to get her to marry them. Her wariness of Ukyo was no where near as strong as it was of the other two; especially Kodachi. Ukyo was still her Uuchan though, still her best friend from her piss weak excuse for a childhood and she trusted the chef more then she trusted the crazy Chinese girl or the insane Gymnast girl.

Ranma shook her so slightly that it barely seemed to move. She reminded herself that things had changed now. Ukyo couldn't still be looking to marry her. She was probably just here to check up on her like good friends did.

She forced herself to relax.

She was always amazed when she watched Ukyo work. The girl was so at home in the kitchen and had turned cooking into an art form all in its own. Even Shampoo, who used it more as a means to an end then anything else wasn't the master that Ukyo was; even if she did only specialize in Okonomiyaki, it was obvious that that wasn't the extent of her ability.

"Oh! Good morning honey." Nodoka smiled as she turned and noticed Ranma standing there.

Ukyo grinned. "I thought I was gonna have to come up there and drag your fanny out of bed myself sugar."

Ranma couldn't help but smile.

"I didn't realize you had so much hair," the other girl added as she stared at the mass of red locks. "It looks good like that; you should keep it like that."

"No," Ranma replied flatly. "I just need a new tie, the old one broke in my sleep."

"It won't hurt to let it down for a while. It's not good for your hair to keep it in that pig tail all the time," her mother explained reasonably.

Ranma was reluctant to admit that it did feel a slight more comfortable then when it was platted tightly. She rarely ever noticed it because she was so use to it always being in the pig tail, but now that it wasn't, she could feel the dramatic difference.

"Your friend was telling me about some of your adventures. Many you've never mentioned before," her mother added suddenly with an amused smile.

Ranma blanched, horrified at the implication of that. There were so many things she hadn't told her mother about her 'adventures' simply because they were too embarrassing and involved her using her girl form to get what she wanted or to win a fight. She was thinking of the numerous times she had used this form against Ryoga and any number of other fighters that were easily distracted by her…eh…assets. She never felt remorse at using her girl form that way, after all she had been taught to take advantage of any weakness her opponents might have.

Her girl form had just been another tool.

Those weren't things she necessarily wanted her mother knowing though. Mainly because she was afraid her mother might start to get certain ideas in her head that didn't bode well for herself.

"You need to get Akane to tell you about the time Ranma thought she was a girl," Ukyo told the older woman suddenly.

"UKYO!" Ranma cried in alarm, her face going bright red.

The two of them laughed at the sight of her as they went bout serving breakfast and moved the conversation into dining room where they knelt at the low sitting table.

Ranma fumed in embarrassment. She didn't even remember that incident, although Nabiki had taken plenty of photos and used them as blackmail. She was just thankful that it had only been for a day and that nothing truly embarrassing had come of that incident other then acting like a girl. It made her shudder, thinking that were it not for Akane's violent nature, she would have been living the rest of her life as a pacifist girly housewife.

"Then there was the koi rod-"

"_**UKYO!"**_ Ranma snapped. "We all agreed we would never bring that up ever again!"

The other girl pouted. "No, you agreed never to speak about it again Ran-chan. Nabiki on the other hand didn't."

Ranma wanted to crawl into a hole and die as her supposed friend told her mother about one of the most embarrassing and horrifying moments in her life, and unfortunately she remembered every moment of it. What made it so bad was that she magic of the koi rod had made her love that bastard. It had warped her perception and toyed with her emotions and turned her into a love crazy teenager that would have done anything for _**him!**_ She had been more single minded then any of her fiancée's had ever been.

It still made her sick thinking about it.

Her mother on the other hand was laughing so hard she had almost had tears in her eyes. Ranma glared daggers at Ukyo, who merely stuck her tongue out playfully. The red head was tempted to reach over and catch the offending muscle with her chop sticks.

Silently she promised Nabiki would pay for selling that story.

"Oh my," Nodoka said finally, pausing to catch her breath before turning to look at Ranma. "I'm sorry dear, I shouldn't laugh. But, it seems that it was only a matter of a time, before something like this happened to you with everything you've been through and had happened to you since becoming cursed."

Ranma grumbled in reply.

She had come to the same conclusion days ago.

Fate was a cruel and merciless bitch.

Despite the embarrassment, she found herself enjoying the situation.

Ukyo made her feel as if nothing had really changed, and put her somewhat at ease. Had this been breakfast, or any other meal at the Tendo's right now, they would have been trying not to make eye contact when glancing at her. Most of all they would have been trying not to anger her.

Ukyo though was more concerned with treating her like she normally would.

She appreciated that Akane and the others thought they were doing the right thing by her and trying not to upset her, but it only served to remind her even more that things were different.

She found this…peaceful…

"She was very impressive when she was fighting to be Prince Tomma's bride," Ukyo explained casually, a new grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

Ranma choked on her food. She coughed and spluttered violently, pounding on her chest as she tried to get the lump in her throat to go down, before draining her glass of juice. Memories of her nightmare came flooding back to her in a horrible rush, filling her head with images of herself in the wedding dress.

"I was not fighting for that!" she exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the table. "I was fighting for the rest of you and that stupid water!"

"Was this prince cute?" Nodoka asked, ignoring the red head's outburst.

"I suppose, for a little sprout," the Okonomiyaki chef shrugged.

"I had no idea you preferred younger boys" her mother teased as she swung her gaze back to Ranma.

"MOM!" Ranma pleaded desperately, as both the older woman and Ukyo laughed, much to her despair. "That's not funny!"

She had changed her mind.

This was worse then having everyone tip toeing around her.

At least the others were too scared of her to make silly jokes like this. She was more shocked by her mother's actions. The woman was normally so reserved that it was strange to see her joking around like a normal person. She suddenly had an idea of what her mother was like as a teenager. Or, what her life would have been like if Ukyo had ended up being her wife.

Nodoka patted her hand gently upon seeing the distressed look in Ranma's eyes.

"I'm sorry dear, I shouldn't tease like that," her mother replied apologetically.

Her mother was sincere enough, but it was obvious that she was still amused and enjoying herself.

Ranma sighed inwardly, suddenly realizing that **these** were the things her mother had missed out on while she was growing up, and not just because her father had taken her away to train her in the arts, but also because she had been born male. This was the kind of thing she realized that her mother was never going to be able to enjoy before she had become stuck this way. Her mother was sympathetic to her situation, but Ranma wasn't completely stupid, she knew there had to be some part of her mother that was over joyed at suddenly having a daughter.

At least in some form.

This was going to be a problem the red head realized, if her mother expected her to start acting like a daughter as well.

Her mother had been patient and understanding enough with her though that she felt that perhaps she could afford her mother that indulgence once in a while. It certainly wouldn't kill her and she had made greater compromises in the past. She owed her mother that much at least.

She sighed again. "S'ok mom, I know you didn't mean it."

Ukyo was less remorseful as she continued to laugh at her expense.

...

...

...

Ranma hadn't left the 'safety' of her mother's home – she still couldn't convince herself to think of it as her own home to – since the night she had left the Tendo's. And, it was only at the insistence of her mother and Ukyo that she had. Both of them had decided she needed some fresh air – something Ranma pointed out she could get quite easily from the back yard, but her mother wouldn't hear it – and her ex-fiancée damn near yanked her arm out of the socket dragging her out the door. Inevitably, they had ended up at the park.

It felt strange to be out walking around in the light of day. People passed by without paying much attention to her, but she couldn't shake the paranoid feeling that everyone was staring at her; like they knew she was a freak. She even though a couple of times that some of them had been laughing at her.

It was all in her mind, that was certain, and she knew it.

_They don't even know who you are, you idiot!_

Ranma sighed, wondering if this was what her life was going to be like. Paranoid and suspicious of everything and everyone?

She remembered feeling this way once before, back when she had first been cursed. It had felt like everyone knew what she was when she was in her girl form and wanted to laugh at her. As much as she had hated her curse, the red head had managed to overcome that and used her father's philosophy that anything could be turned into training or used as a tool to turn her female form into exactly that.

Could she do that again though?

Her friends and family seemed to think she could, if she wanted to that was. But, the very idea of learning to adjust to this new life made her skin crawl.

"You ok Ran-chan? You look like you're somewhere else." There was concern in the chef's eyes as she stared intently at the red head.

Ranma nodded slowly. "Yeah…I was just thinking about when I was cursed is all. Was thinking about how I dealt with it…"

"And how are you doing?" Ukyo asked delicately.

Ranma paused and sat down on a park bench. "I don't know Uuchan… Sometimes I feel almost normal, like nothing happened and I start to think that maybe I can get through it…And, then the gravity of my situation comes crashing down on me and I start to think that I wish the Guardian had just killed me…"

Alarm flashed across the other girl's eyes. "You don't mean that Ranma! I know you're in pain, but you just need time to get used to everything that's happened, that's all."

Kasumi had told her as much as well, Ranma remembered idly.

What was the point of grieving the loss of her real body if she wasn't allowed to dwell on the moments when she wished she had died. Wasn't that part of grieving? To face the negative aspects of a tragic moment that turns your world upside down so you can eventually focus putting them behind yourself and moving forward. How could she be expected to deal with her pain, if everyone wanted her to deny the darkest aspects of it? It was not as if she liked the idea of death, it terrified her…

She resisted the urge to growl in frustration. She felt like a little kid learning about the world all over again, but from a new perspective.

"Ranma?"

She turned to stare at the eyes of her ex-fiancée and saw the worry and fear swimming in them. Not a fear of her certainly, but a fear for her well being, her safety. The fear of someone worried about a close friend, and wanting to do something to help and not knowing what. She offered the girl a smile. A forced and small one that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes, but a smile all the same.

"I'm sorry Ukyo," she rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I don't know what I'm thinking anymore. I'm so tired of all this."

She felt the other girl's hand rest gently on her shoulder, reassurance and sympathy radiating from that touch. Before everything of late that had taken place, Ranma couldn't remember the last time she had been truly comforted by a friend, by anyone. She would have been young, a small child probably. But, at some point her father's teachings had taken hold and she started to think in ways he had wanted her to. She had thought that any admittance of weakness, physical or emotional was unbecoming of the heir of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.

It wasn't manly.

Ranma fought the brief surge of anger that flashed through her. Her fathers teachings had affected every facet of her life. His teachings and his overblown sense of what made a man a man. How long had she listened to his dribble for? How much of her life had been warped by his narrow sighted view. Even now she remembered his rants about how girls and women were weak compared to men.

The stupid fool.

"I hate him so much!" she murmured through clenched teeth. "Maybe if I was anyone else I might not be having such a hard time with all this. But no, I was raised by that bastard…"

Ukyo frowned. "Ranma I'm the first person to admit that your father is a jack ass. He ruined my life when you two ran off with my fathers Okonomiyaki cart. But, he did raise you Sugar. He turned you into a martial artist of unparrelled ability. You may hate him now, and I know he's done some horrible things in his time, but he raised you right didn't he? You were raised to be a good person, surely you have to be grateful to him for that?"

"By that same reasoning you should be grateful he stole your cart, otherwise you wouldn't have become the fighter you are now," the red head replied bitterly.

"You don't know that. I could have become even stronger if he had take me with you," the other girl shrugged.

"And I could have become a better person if I was raised by dogs!" the malice in Ranma's words were unmistakeable and she made no effort to disguise them. "The problem is we'll never know now will we?"

"That's pretty harsh Ran-chan," Ukyo's words were quiet, and soft.

"The truth usually is…" Ranma stared bitterly at the ground.

_That's good, wallow some more in your self pity._

She sighed inwardly, the voice in her head was starting to become irritating.

Ukyo spoke after a long silence, her voice tender and cautious. "I know you're having a hard time with all this Ranma, but in all honesty it could have been worse."

"Oh please Ukyo, tell me. HOW, could this be any worse?" Ranma almost laughed at the absurdity of her friend's statement.

Ukyo gave her a hard look. "You could have let Ryoga die, and become a greedy selfish bastard like the old goat…"

Ranma froze at her words, like a spear had been driven through her soul.

"Yeah, that's right sugar. For all the anger and hate you feel about what's happened to you, its nothing compared to the anger and hate you would feel for yourself if you had to live with yourself knowing you had to sacrifice someone's life to obtain your happiness. You would have had to live with the looks of disgust and mistrust that everyone would have given you. Could you have lived with that?" Ukyo gave her a penetrating stare that spoke volumes.

Ranma swung her gaze from the other girl, tearing her eyes away. Why was it that most women had the ability to cut through all the layers of bullshit surrounding an issue. Would she gain this ability in time?

"No," she replied sullenly. "That doesn't change anything though!"

"No it doesn't, but can't you take some level of peace from the knowledge that even faced with such a hard choice, you chose the right one. Can't that be enough for you?" Ukyo asked intently.

"Oh its enough," the red head replied sincerely.

"Then why are you being so stubborn about moving on? You won't let anyone help you!" Ukyo was getting exasperated.

"And why should I!" Ranma demanded angrily, jumping to her feet. "Who are you to judge me about being stubborn? You have no idea what I'm going through, you couldn't know! You make it sound so simple but you haven't got the faintest idea what its like. You never have. The first time you found out about my curse you treated me like a glorified toy! Don't you dare sit there and have the nerve to act like you know."

Ukyo stammered at this outburst, sensing the very real anger in the red heads tone, and aware of people pausing to stare.

"R-Ranma…please…I'm just trying to understand."

"Well stop trying! You can't understand!" she snapped. "The only way you could understand is if you jumped into a Jusenkyo spring and got trapped!"

Ukyo stared at her in shock, but Ranma ignored it. She was tired, and she was sick of everyone thinking they had the right bit of advice for her. She was sick of them trying to make her feel better. Oh sure she understood they were worried about her. They didn't want to see her hurting the way she was. She could even appreciate that and was thankful she had so many people that were so worried about her. But, she just wanted to be able to deal with this on her own, so why couldn't they just let her do that?

_Because you're not dealing with it! You're hiding behind fear and anger rather then facing up to it!_

She had to resist the overwhelming urge to tell herself to piss off…

"You're avoiding question," Ukyo continued finally, her tone soft and calm, but determined all the same. "Why are you being so resistant? It's almost like you **want **to be angry and depressed all the time. That's not the Ranma I know…"

"I'm stuck as a girl forever; I have a right to be depressed and angry for however long I want to be." Ranma frowned, crossing her arms in a huff.

Ukyo gently turned her around, forcing her to look her in the eye. "It's not as if this is the first time you've been faced with the prospect of being trapped forever Ranma, What about when you faced Herb? I know you clung on to the knowledge that there was a chance you could change back by getting the kettle. But, you knew there was a chance you couldn't defeat him either, that you would be stuck this way forever then. I don't want to be insensitive or upset you Ranma, I really don't, but I hate seeing you in pain too. You're my best friend. I know I can't understand what's happening to you, but I want to help you…every one does. We're all worried about you. Even Ryoga is, as much as you don't want to hear that. You can't keep running away from this. Please, you can confide in me Ranma."

Ranma felt her shoulders sag as she sighed; eyes half lidded with weariness.

"I'm scared…" the red head murmured.

"Well that much is obvious, but of what exactly?" Ukyo asked in exasperation, without losing that tender tone.

"Of losing myself damn it!" Ranma snapped, so suddenly that she scared herself into silence as she locked eyes with the other girl. She waited for the other girl to say something, but Ukyo just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "I'm scare of losing myself ok…I'm scared…scared that I'm going to forget who I really am. I don't want to start acting like a girl…"

"Oh Ran-chan…" Ukyo said, finally understanding. "…I'm sorry, I should have realized. Just because your form is different doesn't mean you're going to become a different person. I know its not the same thing your going through but did realizing I wasn't a guy change who I am when you found out? Just because I acted like a guy and looked like one didn't change who I really was."

"You're right, it's not the same!" Ranma, wanted to scream in frustration. "You were still a girl under the binding wraps and guys clothing. I'm a guy trapped in a girl's body, with a girl's brain. I've always acted just that bit differently as a girl then as a guy. Don't tell me you've never noticed. I always did. I can't even begin to count the number of times I woke up in a cold sweat because of lingering thoughts from being in my girl form. It was worse when Cologne and Herb trapped me and took me even longer to get rid of it all completely. Then there was the time I hit my head on the rocks in the pond. I'm terrified that that's what I'm going to turn into!"

Without warning Ukyo slapped her across the face. She was left stunned by the attack and several people turned to stare again as Ukyo grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her lightly and frantically yelled. "Ranma Get a hold of yourself! You're gonna to start hyper ventilating!"

Ranma felt her cheek tentatively, feeling the stinging burn from the impact.

Ukyo let go of the red head suddenly, as if realizing she may have crossed the line. "Sorry…"

"No," Ranma shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm just so…stressed?"

"Don't be," Ukyo gave her. "But, Ran-chan, you're not going to turn in anything you don't want to turn into. You're the only person that can decide who you want to be. The blow to the head you took was an accident, that's all. As for how you used to act when you used your girl form… I will admit you acted more energetic then when you were in guy form, but I think that was part of you just letting go and having some fun for the first time in your life. As a guy you thought you had to act all cool and manly all the time, because of your father. When you could turn into a girl that gave you a way to vent all that pent up emotion. That doesn't mean you're going to become a different person."

"That's not comforting," the red head grumbled sullenly.

"My point is Ranma; you have nothing to be scared of. Yes, things have changed for you now, but you're not the type of person that compromises who they are just because they're scared. Think about everything you've been through. When did you ever give up just because you were faced with a hard situation? Did you roll over and take it when Cologne gave you the _Full Body Cat's Tongue_? Did you let Herb get away with trapping you with the ladle? Did you give up when Kirin kidnapped Akane or when Tomma took us all prisoner? Did you give up when Akane's life depended on you beating Saffron?" Ukyo was speaking with more urgency now, trying to spark a flame of determination in her ex-fiancée.

And Ranma did feel that familiar sensation stirring within her. The sensation of an emotion that had always driven her to fight the odds stacked against her.

"No…" she replied finally. "I didn't."

"Well now is no different sugar!" the other girl told her reassuringly. "This is just another challenge for you. I'm not saying it's the same as what you've faced before, but it is still a challenge that you have to overcome. You can overcome your fears, but only if you're willing to fight."

Ranma glanced hesitantly at the ground. She understood what Ukyo was saying, she even agreed with her. But conquering her fears meant accepting that she was going to be a girl forever. It frightened her more then it should have.

She swallowed nervously. "What _if_ I do start acting like a girl Uuchan? Damn it! What if I start to like boys? What then?"

"Ranma you're worried about situations that most likely never going to happen," the other girl explained, starting to sound a little frustrated. "But ok, let's look at that, and I don't want to sound insensitive when I say this but; let's say you did suddenly like a boy that way. So what? The only person who is going to **think** its wrong is you. But, if you find someone that makes you happy and that someone happened to be a guy, why shouldn't you be able to experience that?"

"Because I'm a guy!" the red head growled.

The okonomiyaki chef sighed tapped the smaller girl on the forehead. "Only up here now."

"You would let me too, wouldn't you?" Ranma snapped accusingly.

Ukyo nodded seriously. "If I thought you were truly happy, yes I would. But, if I thought for one second that it was something you didn't want, that you were just doing it because you think you have to then I would put a stop to it. So would your mother, or Akane. Anyone of your friends. We don't want to see you hurt because of some misconception you have about girls. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you have to like boys. But, on the other hand, it isn't wrong for you to like boys either. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Damn, how could she argue against that, Ranma thought bitterly…

"Ranma, everything is black and white to you. You think just because you're a girl that it means you have to forget being a guy. It doesn't mean you have to like guys or act like a girl either. It isn't clear cut. There's a grey area too. You have so many absolute thoughts about gender for a seventeen year old. That isn't your fault though. I think we both know who's to blame for that," Ukyo sighed.

Ranma nodded darkly.

Ukyo gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Look I have to get back to the shop. You should go home and think about what we've talked about Ran-chan. Try to relax; If you keep stressing yourself out over things that might never happen you're never going to be able to deal with this. Don't be afraid to talk to one of us about what's going on. We want to be there to help you, but we can only do that if you let us…"

Ranma let a drawn out sigh escape from her lips. "Thank you Ukyo…I know you're just trying to help."

The red head stood and watched Ukyo hurry off, watching until she was out sight before her expression saddened once more.

Then she turned, and started home…

….

…

…

…

….

The walk home felt like it took an eternity. Ranma didn't feel much like hurrying though. She dragged her feet, deep in thought as her conversation with Ukyo replayed over and over again in her head. She knew, with bitter certainty that it was going to plague her for a while to come. Surprisingly she didn't feel angry or agitated after having her brown haired friend pick at the issues she had with everything that had happened so far.

Maybe she was just too tired to be angry anymore.

Ukyo was right though. Nothing was as black and white as she thought it was. She was scared of phantom situations; things that might very well never happen. She was so scared that she was going to become something she didn't want to be that she wasn't even going to have a real future at this point. She just didn't want to admit it, because that would mean having to admit that she was just fooling herself.

She sighed as she walked in through the front door, slipping off her shoes while rubbing at the side of her head. She could feel a headache starting to come on. There were too many things running around in her head.

"_Too much stressing,"_ she thought as she walked into the living room.

Then all of a sudden Akane was in her face. "Ranma!"

The red head screamed and jumped backwards in fright.

Akane tilted her head in puzzlement. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Heart racing a hundred miles an hour, Ranma stared at the youngest Tendo in disbelief, trying to stop her body from trembling like a leaf. She was about to let loose an explosive string of curses and insults when it finally hit her, that it was Akane she was staring at. Like a candle being snuffed out, her anger and annoyance vanished in a flash and, left her staring silently at the other girl; And, then at the bruise on her cheek.

A lump of guilt formed in her throat.

_Yeah…You did that, jerk…_

….

…

…

…

….

Nodoka listened intently as she prepared a plate of rice balls; packing them tightly as Kasumi told her about what had taken place since Ranma had come out of her comatose state. It wasn't that she didn't trust the red head, but she would be stupid to believe that Ranma's version of events wasn't biased.

She had been meaning to do this since the night she had 'banished' her husband from her home. But, she had wanted to do it while Ranma wasn't around and it had been harder then she thought it was going to be to get her out of the house long enough to even consider talking in peace and quiet with Kasumi. Ukyo had given her the opportunity at last.

The older woman smiled slightly.

That girl certainly was an outspoken one.

"I'm sorry Aunty Saotome; I tried to help Ranma as best I could." The young woman sighed in a defeated manner as she finished her tale.

Drawn from her thoughts, Nodoka put down the rice ball she was working on and turned to give the girl a steady, but reassuring stare. "Kasumi, you did an excellent job given the circumstances. You keep that house running despite all the craziness that goes on there; something that would overwhelm most people. Ranma has nothing but praise for you and told me that the talks she had with you helped her greatly. So please, don't think you didn't help her Kasumi, because you did."

"Thank you," Kasumi replied quietly.

Nodoka smiled in amusement. "Although I think you may have went little overboard replacing most of Ranma's clothes so readily."

The older Tendo girl blushed in embarrassment. "It didn't seem right for her to be running around in clothes that didn't fit her properly. I hope I didn't over step my bounds too much…"

It was difficult not to laugh. "Its fine dear, Ranma understands you were just trying to help. She would have needed new clothes eventually anyway."

That at least seemed to set the young woman at ease.

Nodoka found herself wondering what Kasumi's life would have been like had her mother not passed away. The girl had given up so much to take care of her family, to help raise her sisters and make sure everything stayed in good working order. Maybe it wasn't too late for her to do something with her life that she wanted to though. Her sisters were old enough that they could look after themselves - Nabiki especially and probably even more so - without Kasumi to 'mother' them. What would be left for her once the other two Tendo girls finished High school and went out into the world?

Nodoka made a mental note to talk about this with Soun.

She would naturally talk with Kasumi about this as well, but she knew the young woman would be more opened to the idea of considering more for herself if her father could give her the reassurance that everything would be fine without her. Kasumi's potential was such that Nodoka didn't want her wasting her life away.

"Tell me," she said finally. "What has my, darling, husband been up to?"

She saw brief flicker of anger in the otherwise placid gaze of the young woman. "Mr Saotome left the same night Ranma came here. His travel pack and belongings were gone as well. Father believes he left on a training journey of some sort."

"Good, with any luck he took my words to heart." Nodoka coldly went back to finishing the rest of the rice balls. "It will do Ranma well not to have that fool around for a while."

She thought they'd all be better off with him gone for the time being.

"Is Ranma still having trouble sleeping?" Kasumi asked.

She was.

Nodoka had taken to checking on the girl before going to bed. Every time she found Ranma tossing and turning, with her face twisted in anger and terror; sometimes crying out in her sleep. She had planned on talking to her about it, but she knew it was something Ranma wasn't ready to talk about just yet, if she even remembered having nightmares at all.

"Yes," she admitted finally.

Kasumi nodded and reached into her bag, pulling out a large sealed packet and handed it to her. "I was given this for Ranma, to help her sleep better."

Nodoka listened with interest as Kasumi explained about Cologne and the instructions for using the herbal remedy. She remembered hearing this woman mentioned in passing, often with mixed feelings of distrust and respect, especially from Ranma. If this remedy could help Ranma though, she was willing to trust the old Chinese woman.

Putting the packet aside, she gave the young woman a warm smile. "You are an impressive young woman Kasumi, thank you for everything you've done for Ranma. You mother would be so proud of you."

When the other girl's face lit up, she knew this was exactly what the young woman needed to hear…

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma knelt opposite from Akane, silence sitting uncomfortably on top of them as they tried to avoid eye contact with each other. For Ranma she was trying to avoid staring at the fading bruise her ex-fiancée had tried to cover up with makeup. The red head felt horrible, realizing that if the bruise, bad as it looked now was still fading that it must have looked ten times worse before it had started to heal.

She could just imagine what everyone at school thought of her when they found out what she had done.

She screwed her eyes shut and inclined her head suddenly. "I'm sorry Akane! I'm sorry for everything!"

Akane stared in surprise. "Ranma you don't need to apologize for anything."

"Yes I do!" the red head insisted. "I'm sorry I hit you…you didn't deserve that…"

"It's ok Ranma," Akane said with a soft but reassuring smile, before deciding to change the topic. "You know, everyone at school has been asking about you. They want to know when you're coming back."

Ranma stiffened noticeably, and then looked away. "I'm not going back."

"But you have to! You can't just drop out like that!" Akane exclaimed in shock.

Ranma gave her a hard look "Why not?"

"Because I said…"

Ranma flinched and looked up as her mother walked in with a plate of rice balls, followed by Kasumi with cups of tea. The red head swallowed nervously at the stern look in her mother's eyes, remembering all to well the anger her mother had shown almost a week ago in the confrontation with Genma. She said nothing as the older woman and Kasumi sat down on either side of Akane, aware that this was not going to go well for her.

She shook her head and mustered up a scrap of courage and defiance. "I can't go back to school like thi-"

"You can't keep running away from everyone just because you're scared of what they might say or think," her mother cut her off. "I won't have you hiding behind fear for the rest of your life dear; its time you started to accept what's happened to you and move on from here. I know its not as easy as that, and that it'll take you time, but you're not going to be able to until you start, otherwise your fear will consume you and you'll become your father."

Ranma felt her face heat up with a flush of anger. "I am nothing like him."

"Then prove it,' Nodoka stared at her challengingly.

"If I go back I'll have to wear a dress, and I aint wearing no dress!" Ranma protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"Ranma, you never wore the boy's uniform, why do you think you'll have to wear the girls uniform?" Akane pointed out with a frowned. "And Ukyo's a girl and she doesn't wear the girl's uniform either."

The red head gave the youngest Tendo a cold stare that told her she didn't want her help, but she knew the girl was right. She didn't have to wear the uniform if she didn't want to, she was just afraid of confronting everyone.

"Akane's right," Nodoka nodded. "It isn't very respectful, but these are special circumstances. I wont force you to wear the uniform, but you are going back to school Ranma and that's final. Your father shirked your education your entire life, so you're going to make the best of High school while you still can."

Ranma hung her head in defeat, groaning with the knowledge that the final nail in her coffin had just been hammered in place. Her mother would not be denied and she wasn't going to win this argument, not unless she could come with one hell of a reason. Her mother was too old fashion to let her get out of school. She though she should probably be thankful to her father that he had never been that worried about school while she was growing up. Her training had been the first and foremost important aspect of her life, everything else was just a distraction.

Akane came around the table and patted her on the shoulder. "It'll be fine. And, if someone makes fun of you, just pummel them!'

Ranma laughed, despite herself.

….

…

…

…

….

Later that night Ranma sat on the back porch; listening to clack of a bamboo pipe smacking against rock as it filled with water, dumped it and flipped up again to collect more. Akane and Kasumi had gone home a while ago and Ranma had been left to her thoughts. Nodoka thought it was best to let her 'daughter' mull over the idea of going back to school for a while. She was worried about pushing the girl faster then she was ready, but it was time for her to start getting use to her new life and she wasn't going to do that, the older woman realized unless she was pushed to. If she didn't start now after all, it was just going to get harder and harder.

Her child's reluctance to adjust was starting to test her patience though.

Nodoka walked up beside Ranma, tucked the folds of her kimono behind her and gracefully sat next to the young red head.

"Dear, we need to talk," she told her calmly.

Ranma sighed. "I know…"

"I want you to understand honey that I'm not going to try and make you into the perfect definition of a girl. I'm not going to try and make you wear dresses or anything like that. If you had been born a girl it would be a different story, but I know who you are inside and I'm not going to try and change you. I'm not going to try and make you into a housewife ok? I want you to understand that," she explained, wanting to put that fear to ease in her child, knowing that if she didn't it would only drive a wedge between them.

The red head nodded slowly.

"However," she started, pausing as she saw the grimace shoot across Ranma's eyes. "I expect you to start being a bit more cooperative in return from now on. I know you're going through a lot. You have been through a lot. You're scared and that's ok, but you need to move on and learn to adjust."

"I understand." Ranma sighed quietly, reluctance in her tone.

She looked at the girl with a puzzled frown. "Why are you so resistant to the idea of adjusting Ranma? Every time it's brought up, you get all quiet. I'm just trying to understand so I can help you through this, but I can't do that unless you trust me. So please dear, tell me what it is, aside from the obvious that's bothering you?"

"You want me to adjust to life as a girl. Ukyo and I had a similar conversation earlier," Ranma explained. "And I'm afraid that I'll be able to adjust too well, and that means I have to face the fact that I can have a future, but I can't or don't want to imagine what kind of future I might have. And is there any point to continuing my training? The Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts will end with me and the Saotome legacy along with it. There won't be anyone to carry on the school, so what's the point?"

"You don't want children?" Nodoka asked, slightly shocked.

Ranma looked slightly sick at the mention of it. "Of course I wanted kids one day. But, I wanted to be a father. I don't want to have kids as a girl and there's no way I'm doing…**that, **as a girl. No way. No how. It makes me sick just thinking about it, and you can't honestly expect that of me either."

"No…You're right," Nodoka admitted with a sigh of disappointment. "I was really looking forward to having grandchildren…Are you sure you won't think about it?"

"No!" Ranma frowned defiantly.

Nodoka frowned as well.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a long time, the conversation going to a place they hadn't expected it to go, but one they both realize needed to be gotten out of the way. Nodoka couldn't say she was happy; she had always dreamt about having lots of grandchildren to dote upon and Ranma's current situation hadn't even occurred to her. But, she reminded herself, her child was still trying to deal with the idea of being a girl at all, and that trying to push her too far at this point would end horribly. Concepts that seemed terrifying and out of the question to the red head now, she might some day have a change of heart about. Nodoka just needed to be patient.

So she pushed the sudden fears she had to the back of her mind, and climbed to her feet. "Follow me Ranma; I have something I want to show you."

Ranma stared warily, the conversation having set her on edge, but she followed regardless.

"I meant to show this to you sooner, but I thought it best to let you settle in first," she explained as they walked around the side of the house, following a stone path.

Beside the house was a smaller structure and upon seeing it, she heard Ranma gasp in realization. Nodoka stepped up to the door of the building and slid it open, gesturing for her daughter to go in first, before stepping in after her. The building was a dojo, roughly the same size as the Tendo's, and with numerous weapons that ranged from katanas to naginatas and bo staffs to sai's and many more mounted on shelves and on racks.

She smiled at the reaction on her child's face; the term, kid in a candy store springing to mind as she watched the red head turn back and forth in wonder.

"It's your's dear. I had it built for you and your father to train in once we all moved back in together. I thought it would be a good for the two of you to have a place where you could train in peace without disturbing the neighbours," she explained. "Keep in mind though that it's your responsibility Ranma. You're responsible for keeping it well maintained and the equipment in working order and for cleaning the weapons. Look after it."

"I will…But how can we afford this?" Ranma could barely think.

Nodoka shrugged. "Money isn't exactly a problem for my family dear. When I explained to your grandfather my reasoning, he agreed that this was something you would benefit from."

Ranma whirled around, shock in her eyes as they threatened to pop out of her head. "I…have a grandfather?"

Nodoka nodded, stifling a laugh at the girl's reaction. "Yes dear, and a grandmother. You'll meet them one day. Probably one day soon at that. I'm sorry; I keep forgetting that your father never told you anything about your family. There's so much you don't know yet, but I promise you, you will find out about it all in good time."

She gave Ranma a few minutes to let it all sink in.

There was so much she wanted to tell her child, but now wasn't the right time. She wasn't sure how much the girl could handle in one go.

Finally she walked over and gently placed a hand on her child's shoulder.

"A legacy isn't in a name, Ranma. A legacy is left in the hearts and minds of those you affect around you, those that will remember it and continued to tell your story," she explained. "You can do great things; you have done great things and triumphed time and time again. You have shown true, unwavering courage in protecting the lives of your friends when you've had to, and even when you didn't. You're legacy will continue on for a long time Ranma, that is a fact."

She paused to read the expression on the girl's face, seeing the look of acceptance in the bright blue eyes.

"But please, I want you to keep an open mind about what kind of future you can have. Don't discount every possibility you have just because you're afraid of compromising who you are, because your life can be so full and rewarding if you just have an open mind and that doesn't mean giving up who you are inside. Who you are inside, is forever and regardless of your gender. You won't lose yourself," she explained with more intensity then she had intended. She smiled reassuringly. "Just be you…"

Ranma took a deep breath, and nodded slowly. "I'll try…"

_**To Be Continued**_


	5. Chapter 5: Epiphany Pt 1

**A/N: **

**Sorry for the wait in getting this done. The last couple of weeks have been hectic as all hell. **

**First I want to say, thank you for all the great reviews and the patience. **

**And secondly, to Neihaera I would like to say thank you! I was going to ask that same question about the Ranma/Ryoga hate in this A/N but you beat me to it xD… Thank you for saying it though. I really don't understand why people have got such a problem with it.**

**I understand Mizuno Tenshi2's view however, but of course its not going to work as the story is now, its still too early for something like that to happen **

**Anyway, enough of that. I hope you enjoy the following two chapters. Originally it was one chapter but it got to be so large that I thought it would be best to break it down into two chapters.**

Chapter 5

_Epiphany__ Part 1_

Tendrils of steam crept across the ceiling of the bathroom, fogging the mirror mounted above the sink and filled the room with warmth that kept the chill of the outside world at bay. Needles of near boiling hot water massaged the tensed muscles, soothing the red head as she pressed her forehead softly against the tiled wall, her back to the jet stream of the shower. Delicate fingers, flexed slowly, the flesh on the knuckles and back of the hands broken and grazed; eyes closed as beads of water rolled down her face, catching on the tip of her nose and lower lip as she gasped against the soreness spreading across her lower back and shoulders.

It wasn't just her back that ached.

Her entire body ached to varying degrees.

Her fingers resisted slightly as she flexed them again, dirt and dried blood still stuck under her nails. Pain grabbed at the joints and crept into her hands, and she struggled against the urge to hiss against the discomfort that started in her toes and worked its way up into her shins and knees as she shifted her weight slightly.

With agonizing slowness the young girl slid to the floor of the shower recess, crawling into the corner, shoulder and head leaning against the hard wall with her knees drawn up, and glaring at the opposite wall, as if it had offended her somehow. A tear rolled down her cheek and was swallowed up by the water cascading down her face. Despite the warmth all around her, she was shaking violently. She hugged herself tightly, grasping her own shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut again, clenching her jaw closed.

Ranma could just imagine what she must look like right now. A pathetic shell of her former self; Controlled by emotions that continued to overwhelm her at every turn, and left her a weak and weepy mess in their wake.

She disgusted herself that she couldn't even control that…

Her tresses fall across her face and shoulders, like a curtain of liquid red under the barrage of water that rained down on her. She let the rushing roar of the shower fill her ears, blocking out every other sound except for the thump of her own heart beat that rippled through her like the thunder of a drum; beating so hard that the inside of her chest hurt.

For so many days now those closest to her had treated her like glass; afraid she would break at the wrong word. At the time she thought they were being silly, but now…Now she really did feel like glass; shattering under a crushing weight of realizations that refused to let up.

She hated feeling so fragile; so weak and brittle.

The red head glanced hesitantly in the direction of the bathroom door. They were waiting on the other side of it, she could sense them as clearly as though she was standing right in front of them. Waiting anxiously and giving her the space she had demanded. She didn't want to face them; not yet at least, she needed to collect her thoughts first. She felt too humiliated. Akane and Ukyo could explain for her, they knew what had happened. She just wanted to be left alone for now.

She had been so stupid…

...

...

Earlier that Day

...

...

Ranma couldn't remember the last time she had been truly nervous.

If she truly ever had.

It was such an alien concept to her. All her life had been about being confident and not showing fear or weakness in the face of an enemy or during a battle. Nervousness had never come into the picture because she entered every fight comfortable in the knowledge that she would win no matter what and therefore had nothing to be worried about. Perhaps that was arrogant, but that kind of thinking had gotten her through her toughest battles.

So why the hell did she feel like a swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach?

With a frustrating growl she straightened her shirt for the fiftieth time that morning as she inspected herself in the mirror. She had opted for a simple dark red blouse and black slacks for the simple fact that it resembled her old attire. She didn't want everyone thinking that just because she was stuck like this didn't mean it had changed who she was inside. But, it didn't feel right. The clothes felt like they were restricting her movements. It seemed that every time she moved even the slightest fraction, she became aware of the fabrics against her skin, pulling under her arms and against her waist.

It was just her imagination of course, but that didn't make it any less annoying though, and the ever present fluttering in her stomach didn't help matters either.

If anything it made it worse and made her feel even more self conscious.

Ranma sighed at her reflection.

_Yes, you're being ridi__culous and no, your ass doesn't look fat in those pants… in case you were wondering_

"No I wasn't won-"

_You know you're talking to yourself right….?_

Ranma snapped her mouth shut.

_Oh yes, this is gonna be a fun day…_

Great, she thought irritably with a tick of her eye; even her sub conscious was poking fun at her now!

"Ranma, your breakfast is going to get cold!" her mother suddenly called out, startling the girl from her thoughts.

"C…coming…" she hesitated another glance at the mirror before grabbing her book bag and hurrying downstairs.

Somehow she wasn't surprised to find Akane waiting for her when she walked into the dining room. Her ex-fiancée had a calm, reassuring smile on her face that reminded Ranma of the feelings she still had for the other girl. It tore at her insides to know that they were never going to be more then just friends now. Hopefully good friends, but they would never be more.

What would their life have been like now if their failed wedding last year had gone off without a hitch? She had wondered this several times before she had become trapped, and had looked forward to giving it another go. But, what if they had gotten married, and she had still become trapped…?

…Perhaps it was better this way.

At least Akane had the chance now to find someone at least semi-normal…

That was something she could never have given her…

"Here to make sure I get to school?" she asked as she plopped down at the table and started on a bowl of rice.

"More or less," Akane nodded.

Ranma should have felt insulted, but with the way she was feeling right at that moment she could hardly blame them. Knowing how easy it would be to run and not look back was like dying of thirst and a cup of water being held just out of reach. She was desperate for a way to escape from this mess.

But, she couldn't do that to her mother, not after the talk she had given her in the training hall.

Akane gave her wry look. "You know you're worrying over nothing right?"

Ranma shot her a dark look over the rim of her bowl. "And what makes you think I'm worrying about anything?"

"We lived together for nearly two years Ranma," the other girl replied dryly, as if that explained everything. "Anyway, you're not going to be alone. You'll have Ukyo and me to help you."

Ranma put her bowl down and gave her a long hard look, letting a brief silence settled on them as she felt a familiar surging of injured pride flaring through her in protest. "I do not need either of you to protect me. I'm stressed, not pathetic."

Akane held up her hands defensively, but couldn't mask the amused grin that spread across her face. That irritated the red head even more, that look on the other girl's face that suggested she saw something that Ranma herself couldn't. Even still she gritted her teeth and chose to ignore it, returning her attention to finishing the rest of her breakfast.

She wasn't going to get through the day on an empty stomach.

Nodoka emerged from the kitchen suddenly. "Hurry up you two, you don't want to be late."

Ranma rolled her eyes. "No, we wouldn't want that…"

….

…

…

…

….

The weather had decided to be generous.

The cold wind and dark clouds had given away to bright blue skies and a spring warm day. People were slowly emerging from the warmth and comfort of their homes, determined to enjoy the day while it last. Groups of little kids on their way to school ran past shouting and giggling happily, while their parents struggled to keep up them, while others tried to motivate the children who would have rather stayed at home and played video games or gone to a park than to school.

It was like any other day really.

If Ranma noticed any of it, she didn't show it.

Akane watched the girl carefully from the corner of her eye. The red head's expression was set in one of deep contemplation, a frown creasing her forehead. She hadn't said much since they left the house, but it was obvious to anyone with even one good eye that she was anxious. And tired as well it looked. She wondered how long it had been since Ranma had had a proper nights sleep. Far too long if the heavy dark rings under her eyes were anything to go by.

The youngest Tendo was starting to think maybe this wasn't the best of time for Ranma to return to school.

It was unsettling to see the red head so unsure and lacking confidence. Akane almost missed the arrogant, over confident Ranma she knew so well; who had stopped at nothing on numerous occasions to save her life and defeat his enemies. She wondered if that same warrior was still in there somewhere, or had the martial artist hit a wall so hard that there was no coming back from it for her? Was the Ranma they all knew and loved gone forever?

No, she couldn't believe that.

She had seen Ranma overcome so much that it was impossible to believe that. They had been through too much together for her to give up on her ex-fiancée so easily. All the times Ranma had come to her rescue, had been there for her, and now it was her turn to be there for the red head, no matter what.

"Are you going to watch me like that all day, or do you plan on being more subtle when we get to school?" Ranma asked without looking up.

Akane blushed at being caught. "I was just thinking."

"Gee…I wonder what about." The red head's deadpan remark caused the other girl's eye to tick before Ranma sighed. "Sorry…you didn't deserve that. I'm just thinking about a lot of things."

"More like you're worrying about a lot of things," Akane replied observantly. "Why can't you just talk about what's worrying you like a normal person? Is it really that bad?"

Ranma frowned, not the dark haired girl but at herself. "Because that's how I was raised; you know that. I know it sounds silly to you, but I was expected to deal with my own worries by myself and not to burden anyone else with them. You do it enough times and it becomes second nature after awhile…You don't even realize you're doing it sometimes."

"Yes, but you don't HAVE to deal with them by yourself Ranma!" Akane gave her a serious look. "Please, I want you to be able to talk to me. Whatever you say is between us, I swear, but please trust me to confide in!"

Why couldn't she have been this open with her ex before she had gotten herself stuck this way, the youngest Tendo wondered?

Ranma shook her head. "It's silly really…"

Akane came to a stop and put her hands on her hips and she gave Ranma a penetrating look. "Well obvious it's affecting you so it can't be that silly. Is it going back to school that's got you so worked up?"

"No," Ranma sighed. "I'm more worried about the perverts. For some reason I can't stop myself from thinking the worse. You know what they're liked, they've never cared about who I really am inside this skin. They're worse then Kuno. See, I told you it was silly."

"No…it's not silly," Akane replied gently, hands slowly lowering from her hips. "But, it isnt like you haven't dealt with them before…why does now have to be any different?"

Ranma shrugged uncertainly. "I suppose before it used to irritate me, naturally, but I always had the safety of being able to change back. It was like changing a shirt or something. But now, I guess I'm feeling more…I don't know, self conscious maybe… I mean, it never used to bother me much if people saw my girl form naked or dressed up…I didn't think of it as my body back then, but now I have to…it's the only one I've got left…"

Akane could see anxiety in the other girl's eyes. She could see it etched into her face and could see the girl trying to fight against it. It was almost as if she were watching two forces struggling against each other for dominance.

She said the only thing she could. "Do what I do if they don't leave you alone. Beat the snot out of them."

Maybe it was how seriously she said it, with no trace of humor in her tone, but after staring at her blankly in silence for a few seconds, Ranma burst into laughter. Akane blinked several times, staring in shock. It had been so long since she had heard the other girl laugh that it was almost like a breath of fresh air. She couldn't help but smile, the laughter was infectious in its own way. She was just happy to hear the red head laughing again.

After nearly a minute the girl's laughter died away and she looked at Akane with a somewhat grateful smile. "Thank you, I needed that."

"Everyone needs to laugh," Akane smiled softly. "Don't worry about today; everything's going to be fine."

Ranma nodded with a sad glint and a hint of anger returning to her eyes. "But them not leaving me alone isnt what's bothering me. It's bothering me knowing that they're going to be thinking perverted things about me. It's creepy and its weirding me out more then I like to admit…"

Akane shrugged suddenly, perhaps more unsympathetically then she had intended since she had dealt with it for so much longer then the girl in front of her.

"Welcome to the joys of being a girl at Furinkan High."

Ranma looked her dryly, the humor gone altogether now. "Thanks….that makes me feel so much better…"

"Everything will be fine," Akane insisted.

….

…

…

…

….

Akane had been wrong.

Nothing was fine…

"Don't pay any attention to them sugar," Ukyo told her calmly, though the irritated tone of disappointment in her voice was unmistakable.

"Easier said then done!" Ranma hissed, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, again!

She glanced carefully around at the other students. Some of them averted their eyes when she caught them looking, and pretended they hadn't been. The boys were the worst naturally, as she had knew they would be. They weren't subtle in the least and she felt their lecherous stares on her back almost constantly. But she was used to this, as much as she hated it.

This was normal for them and, she could hate and be annoyed with them as much as she wanted because they knew the truth about her and ignored it; but, she refused to be the type of person that flew off the handle at an innocent stranger that might suddenly decide to stare at her ass. She had to accept that it was an irritating and unfortunate, but natural fact of life that she was bound to attract attention. She wasn't being arrogant about that, but experience had proven – much to her disgust – that guy's were attracted to her. Short of spending the rest of her life traveling around in cloak like Herb did, or seriously disfiguring herself, there was nothing she could do to change that.

If that had been it; if the gawking stares from a bunch of perverted teenage guys had been the extent of it, she wouldn't have felt so on edge.

But it wasn't.

And she was.

It was the reaction of the other girls that had surprised her. From the first second she had stepped through the gates, they had been nothing but openly hostile. They leveled angry glares of contempt and suspicion, and whispered things behind her back, making no attempt to mask the harsh hateful tone in their hushed conversations.

The red head should have felt hurt or rejected, but all she could feel was confusion.

Were they angry that she had hit Akane?

She had seen these girls swarm around their own to protect them when something bad happened, or something went wrong. They looked out for one another with an incredible loyalty that was undeniably admirable in its own way.

Was that what this was all about?

Somehow she knew it wasn't but it was the only thing she could come up with. That even Akane and Ukyo didn't know what was up with the attitude was even more confusing. With the exception of the numerous times she had been left to take the blame for Happosai's crimes or gotten herself into trouble trying to do the right thing, - or pursued her own selfish goals – she had never actually done anything to any of them. Nothing that warranted this level of hostility at least; that much was certain. She couldn't even begin to fix this because she didn't even know what she had done wrong.

She didn't expected them – or wanted for that matter – to flock around her with gushy offerings of sympathy over her plight, after all as far as she was concerned she wasn't one of them, so why would they even bother.

But, she didn't think she deserved this.

Not after all that she had been through.

Ranma sighed under her breath, idly drawing in the margin of her book while the teacher rambled on about something unimportant. She felt herself longing for the simpler days of life on the road, where you lived from day to day. It had been harsh living, but it was much less complicated then this.

But, she mused, life wasn't meant to be simple.

Ranma nearly jumped out of her seat when the school bell suddenly went off, startling her out of the mass of thoughts running through her head. The out of sorts red head didn't get up straight away, but watched instead as the other students pilling out of the class rooms. The girls were faster then the guys, refusing to meet the gaze of the red head, leaving her to wait for Akane and Ukyo.

She whirled around to the other two. "What the hell did I do?"

The Okonomiyaki chef gave her a helpless look. "I wish I knew sugar, but they were like this before I got here."

"It's irritating!" she growled. "I new this was a bad idea!"

"It's only your first day back Ranma, you can't expect everything to go back to normal in one day," Akane pointed out.

Ranma grumbled under her breath as she gathered up her stuff and shoved them into her book bag.

They walked in silence from the room, heading outside under the glares of countless girls. By the time they made it out to a nice grassy, sunny spot Ranma was really starting to feel paranoid and anxious. Akane and Ukyo exchanged wary looks as the red head pulled out her bento box and furiously dug into the mouth watering meal her mother had prepared.

"Akane!"

The three of them glanced up to see two girls hurrying towards them. Ranma recognized them immediately. Sayuri and Yuka, two of Akane's friends. They slowed considerably when they saw the red head watching them. Uncertainty flashed across their eyes and she felt a renewed surge of confusion rush through her.

"Hey," Akane replied. "What's up?"

The two girls hesitated for a second.

"I was hoping you had those notes from class yesterday," Sayuri said finally. "I really need them. My little brother spilt water on mine last night."

"Yeah sure," Akane didn't even hesitate as she pulled out a notebook and handed it over. "You wanna have lunch with us?"

Ranma frowned as she saw the two girls share a glance between themselves at the youngest Tendo's request. The red head noticed Yuka look at her from the corner of her eye, before the dark brown orbs darted away again.

"Um, no that's alright Akane," Sayuri replied quickly. Too quickly. The girl glanced at the red head too. "We've already eaten…eh….we'll talk to you later, bye!"

Before Akane even had the chance to blink the two girls had turned around and dashed off as quickly as they had come. Akane was left stunned by what was the unmistakable abandonment of two of her oldest friends. Ranma grounded her teeth, struggling against the anger that was building inside her at the way her ex-fiancée had just been treated, and the obvious hurt and confusement that was floating about in the other girl's dark irises. What made her even angrier was that there was no doubt that it was because of her, that they didn't want to stay.

She had seen it in their eyes.

Discomfort at being in her presence and eyeing her like she was some wild animal that might suddenly lunge at them at without warning. There was no hate in their eyes like there had been in the other girls Ranma had seen, but all the same they didn't want to be near her.

Ranma swallowed the anger, replacing it with guilt. "I'm sorry Akane…"

"It's not your fault," Ukyo replied adamantly. "Whatever their attitude problem is all about, it's not your fault. You're not responsible for how they act."

And yet that didn't make the red head feel any better.

….

…

…

…

….

If they had expected things to get better, they were incredibly wrong.

"What are you doing, get out of the way Sayori!" Akane demanded.

The girl standing in front of the door to the girl's locker room crossed her arms stubbornly, leveling a hateful glare at the three of them. Ranma squirmed uncomfortably under that gaze, but Akane and Ukyo refused to back down and angrily stood their ground. Ranma swallowed nervously, expecting her ex-fiancée's to suddenly rip the girl apart, and she knew it wouldn't be hard for either of them.

"No! You two can come in, but not, him!" the red head flinched at the stinging venom lacing the other girl's words as she leveled penetrating glare at her, scowling deeply.

"What!" Akane and Ukyo screeched in unison.

"You heard me!" Sayori snapped. "This is the girl's locker room!"

"Then what's the problem! Ranma's a girl!" Ukyo bristled.

Ranma blushed furiously, embarrassed and annoyed, unable to prevent the growl that escaped from her lips. "Ukyo!"

By now some other students were starting to gather in the hall to see what all the commotion was about, albeit from a safe distance. Ranma glanced about at them, trying to shrink into herself and wishing there was a hole she could crawl into to escape this. It was bad enough having to deal with the constant stares without being put through this as well.

"We all know what Ranma is!" the girl hissed.

Akane huffed. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Sayori was one of the few girl's that wasn't impressed, nor scared by Akane, or Ukyo. "It means that we're not going to change with this pervert watching us! After all, for all we know this whole thing is just a ploy to spy on us! How do we know if she's really trapped like that?"

"That's outrageous!" Akane stormed. "She has just as much right to use the locker rooms as we do!"

"And she can," Sayori replied. "When we're finished first."

"But that means she'll be late for gym!" Ukyo looked read to kill someone. "You have no - "

"It's ok…" Ranma cut the chef off suddenly, looking down at her feet as the other girls turned to look at her. "I'll wait."

"Ranma, no, it's not right!" Akane protested.

"Damn it Akane! I don't give a shit about whether its right or wrong, it's better then being humiliated even more in front of the entire school!" the red head snapped in exasperation, throwing an arm wide to gesture to the other students watching the soap opera unfold before them.

She didn't look at Akane or Ukyo with anger; instead she gave the two girls a pleading look. It wasn't something she was accustomed to, and it hurt more suffering through more of this circus act, but she was willing to bare it if it meant putting an end to the argument. So, without waiting for them to give in, the red head moved to the wall separating the hall from the locker rooms and sat herself down on the floor in the lotus position; crossing her arms and closing her eyes as she tried to calm the storm brewing inside her. The last thing she wanted to do was lose her temper here.

She sighed inwardly, bitterly glimpsing what was likely to be her future.

She wasn't a guy anymore, not outwardly.

But, she wasn't really a girl either.

So long as she was around people she knew and who knew her she was inside, she would never be treated as a normal person, never be fully accepted or given the benefit of the doubt. As far as these girls cared, she was just some filthy pervert. The way the girls around the school had been staring at her and treating her was starting to make more sense now, but that didn't make her feel any better though. It wasn't like she had wanted this after all. She hadn't chosen for the Guardian to destroy her male form and leave her like this, so why did she have to be treated like the bad guy here?

And a pervert no less!

Like her curse had been a choice.

That was what really hurt. It was a mar on her honor and she didn't like being lumped in the same boat as the old goat. To be called a pervert right to her face like that had never been particular made her feel good. It stung in fact, and after all the times she had put dignity on the line to protect them from the real perverts just pissed her off. It frustrated her. How the hell was she suppose to adjust to all this if she was going to be treated like this for being something she wasn't.

She frowned. What did she care anyway?

It wasn't like she wanted to be treated like a girl anyway. She should have been happy that despite her situation these girls still saw and thought of her as a guy. So why did it bother her so much about the way they were treating her?

_Because its wrong and its narrow minded!_

A chorus of popping resounded from her knuckles as her digits squeezed together tightly. The red head fought to breathe calmly, feeling that all too annoyingly familiar surge of emotions swirling about inside her.

A few seconds later she opened her eyes to see Ukyo and Akane sit down on either side of her.

She frowned at them. "What are you doing?"

"We're not going to let you sit out here by yourself," Ukyo replied simply.

"But…" Ranma faltered slightly. "You'll be late too…"

Akane shook her head. "We don't care, it isn't right that you should have to sit out here alone."

"Besides," Ukyo added a reassuring smile. "This is what friends are for."

….

…

…

…

….

Ryoga sighed as he glanced up through the thick canopy of leafs and branches, light filtering through and shadows dancing across his sweat covered face. How long had he been walking for? It felt like an eternity had passed since he had left Ukyo's small apartment. How big was this forest anyway he wondered, glancing back and forth trying to determine the right direction to go in, seeing as he was starting to feel like he was going in circles…

He blinked suddenly. _"Oh crap…am I walking around in circles?"_

Frustration and despair started to whirl around him. He flopped down under a tree and pulled out an apple from his pack, his stomach growling angrily.

He gazed longingly up at the canopy again; Akane's face suddenly appearing before his distant despairing green irises. How he would have liked to have been next to her right that minute, holding her in his arms. He loved her so much, but he feared that she would never be able to forgive him for his part in Ranma's predicament. Not entirely anyway. If something did happen between them, there would always be that resentment between them. As much as he would have liked to believe otherwise, he knew that Akane and Ranma were close. There had been more between them than simple friendship, and now, that friendship was all they had.

His conversation with Ukyo suddenly replayed through his mind. He frowned; the girl's words hadn't left his thoughts since that afternoon. He had pretended not to be affected by her accusations that he didn't want to help Ranma. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much but it did, and he couldn't get it out of his head.

What right did she have to try and make him feel bad? As if he didn't have enough already weighing down on his conscious without her adding to it.

What was he suppose to do anyway?

Ranma hated him, so there was nothing he could say that was going to make any difference because the red head was likely to try and kill him as soon as she laid eyes on him. What was the point of pissing her off if he couldn't do anything? Was it so unreasonable to want to stay away from the volatile martial artist? At least if he wasn't around, Ranma could at least work things out.

It wasn't running away…was it?

Without warning he punched the ground violently with an aggravated growl, sending a small tremor and a spider web-like pattern of cracks branching outward in every direction.

"_Damn it Ranma! You said nothing would go wrong! Why the hell did I listen to you!"_ Ryoga cursed inwardly, barely noticing the forest going quiet all around him as he let the anger and frustration roll out of him and into the ground; birds took flight from the trees and the songs of bugs and insects disappeared entirely, leaving him in a void of silence.

After a long while he shook his head, gazing sadly.

It didn't matter anymore; he couldn't change what had happened.

All he could do now, was disappear for a while…

…_**To Be Continued**_


	6. Chapter 6: Epiphany Pt 2

Chapter 6

_Epiphany Part 2_

The gymnasium was filled with the smell of sweat and the sound of activity as students played basket ball, or worked out on the gymnastics equipment or went through their kendo exercises. There were too many noises working as one, blending into one another as shouts echoed off the polished floors and high vaulted walls and ceiling.

Akane watched the red head carefully, trying to see what was going through the girl's head as she stepped up on to the balance beam. The girl moved through a series of perfectly executed cartwheels, hand stands and flips, displaying the inhuman grace she had earned from years of training. It was hard not to notice that her movements were stiff and cold though, like a person going through the motions with no real feeling behind them.

She couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her ex-fiancée.

What she wouldn't have given to have even a fraction of the smaller girl's grace and talent and to be able to do it so well even when it was clear her head was somewhere else.

The encounter with Sayori had affected the red head, more then she would let on, but Akane wasn't blind. She could see the pain in the other girl's eye but chose not to say anything, knowing that Ranma would simply deny it and change the subject, or flat out refuse to talk about it.

This wasn't how she had envisioned things being for Ranma on her first day back. She hadn't planned on most of the girls being the way they were or that they would reject the red head so easily. She worried that maybe all her complaining about Ranma and all the times she had falsely accused the martial artist of being a deviant had rubbed off on her fellow classmates. But she doubted it. Most of the girls in the school were as quick to jump to conclusions as she was.

"How's she doing?"

Nabiki was suddenly standing beside her, arms crossed and her face a mask hiding any emotion she felt.

"Well she hasn't killed anyone yet, I guess that's something," Akane sighed. "She's trying not to show it, but I think the way all the girls have been treating her is starting to get to her. What's their problem anyway? Why are they being so mean to her?"

"Come on Akane, you're not that naïve," Nabiki replied seriously, but when Akane could only stare blankly at her, she rolled her eyes. "Or, Maybe you are…They're threatened by her ok."

Akane's forehead creased in confusion. "Threatened? By Ranma? She wouldn't hurt them."

Nabiki gave her younger sister a slightly exasperated stare. "Not of her strength. They're threatened by what she is. She's a girl now. A very cute girl with a body most of these girls would kill for. You've seen how all the boy's stare at her, even the ones with girlfriends. They know that all the boys don't care about who Ranma was, only what she is now and that means whether or not Ranma knows it, she's stepping into very territorial waters."

The youngest Tendo stared in disbelief. "You can't be serious… They think she's going to try and steal their boyfriends? She doesn't even like boys!"

Her sister almost laughed. "And that's where the other problem starts. A lot of the girls here are insecure about their own sexuality as it is, and then you throw Ranma into the mix. A guy in a girl's body and of course they're going to automatically assume that there's something perverted going on in the works. They know if Ranma isn't interested in boys, then there's a chance she would pursue them. We both know Ranma isn't that forward, but that doesn't help them."

Akane was starting to see to the heart of the problem, and now she really was starting to believe that maybe, just maybe this was her fault…

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma moved with the flow, not really caring at this point as she struggled with her sleep deprived mind. Her body moved on automatic, using instinct as she had glided effortless along the balance beam, putting her years of kenpo training to use. Frankly the routine was so simplistic that she could have done it blind folded, or even in her sleep. She could have supported herself on just a forefinger if she had really wanted to when going through one of the flips, but that would have just been showing off.

A brief glimpse at the girls waiting for their turn revealed looks of awe, however grudging they may have been. They could hate her all they wanted, but there was no denying that she was far beyond their skill level in this field. Though Ranma would be the first to admit that despite how simple the routines were to her, they were still enough to give her a work out. It wasn't martial arts, but it was next best thing in her mind.

With one final leap she soared above the ground, spiralling and flipping through the air, before landing gracefully on the padded mats. A slow, reluctant chorus of claps met the end of her routine and she silently moved off to the side as another girl took her place. She was thankful they didn't have to wear leotards while practicing. She wasn't quite sure she could handle that today.

And she didn't want to give the guys anything more to look at as it was.

As it was, it was starting to become harder and harder to ignore the persistent stares of boys, or the uncomfortable feeling it stirred within her. They weren't trying to be subtle anymore. They didn't even look away when she caught them staring and nailed them with her most dangerous death glares.

She snarled some colourful words under her breath.

The teacher directed the students that had done their routine on the balance beam to move on to the vaulting horse, not even giving Ranma second glance. Either she didn't care about who Ranma was, or the crazy weirdness that circled Furinkan and Nerima didn't surprise her anymore. And why not; the Principle was an insane Hawaiian wannabe and another teacher could turn from a cute little girl into a buxom ball busting woman that sucked the ki out of 'naughty' delinquent students. Why would her being trapped as a girl suddenly interesting the gym teacher?

As she waited in line, conscious of the angry auras of those forced to wait behind her and those directly in front of her she became aware again of the boys staring at her again. Couldn't they give their hormones a rest for five bloody minutes? Was that really too much to ask? What did they think was going to happen? Did they honestly think that just because she was a girl now she was going to be flattered by the attention she was receiving from them? Or had she simply sealed her own fate by being a shameless tease in the past? No, it couldn't have been, they were infatuated with the 'Pigtailed Girl' long before they knew the truth. But even so, her penchant for using her girl form to get her own way; to wear skimpy, revealing and often fetish type clothing because she knew it was the most effective couldn't have helped.

Of course they would get the wrong idea.

That didn't make her any less irritated with them though.

Why any girl could stand the feel of a guy's eyes roaming her body and mentally undressing every part of her made the red head sick to the core. She felt like a piece of meat to their gaze, something to be stared at hungrily, and perhaps that was all she was to them. Maybe they didn't see her as a real girl, but something safe to practice on for when they went after a real girlfriend.

She wasn't sure what part of that she hated more; the idea of being treated like a real girl, or being nothing more than a living breathing test dummy.

"_Ranma Saotome is no one's doll!"_ she growled inwardly, her face twisting into a deep scowl.

_Then, you'd rather be treated like a real girl?_

She shuddered at that too but it was certainly better than the other at this point; as much as it disgusted her to admit it.

The girl in front of her suddenly dash forward, leaping up and over the vaulting horse, barely clearing it. Ranma seriously considered passing on this. She could leap two storey buildings, or even higher if she really tried. This was so beneath her skill that she couldn't help but feel a little insulted. The only reason she didn't simply refuse to do it was because she was just too damn tired to care anymore.

With a small sigh the red head sprinted forth, mind and body shifting into automatic and working as one; her small frame springing from the ground with the lightness of air, seeming to float for the space of a second as the vaulting horse appeared beneath her. She shot her arms down to leap frog across it.

And then her wrist buckled.

Blue eyes went wide as time seemed to slow down. Her sharp in take of breath echoed in her ears as the world around her twisted out of control. Her feather-light body pitched forward as the ground rushed to meet her terror stricken face.

There was no way to stop herself.

All the sound was sucked out of the room as she crashed to the ground, her face supporting her body off the ground, frozen in place. Everyone turned and stared in silence at the booming collision. With agonizing slowness her lower body – now pointing up to the ceiling – fell down so that only her ass was raised to the air. Akane and Ukyo ran to the red head's side, even Nabiki showed trace of concern as she hurried in her sister's wake.

"Ranma are you alright!"

Akane's voice echoed through the smaller girl's head and was lost in the pulsing throb clawing through her ears.

"Ranma!"

Ukyo's voice joined Akane's, fading as quickly as it escaped the chef's mouth.

Eternity seemed to creep by as she knelt there, pain lancing through her face and her neck and spine aching. Darkness swam across her eyes, but not the sort that accompanied unconsciousness. She felt her body begin to tremble, tears edging at the corners of her whites as she sucked in a deep breath, feeling her emotions screaming inside her head with such force that her skull felt like it was going to split open.

_Don't!_

Ranma squeezed her hands into fist, clenching her jaw so tightly that her teeth felt like they might explode from the pressure.

_Not here! Not in front of everyone damn it!_

Suddenly one of the girls snorted.

Ranma froze, eyes widening and quivering as her blood ran cold.

Like a chain reaction the entire gymnasium burst into hysterical laughter. It was a chorus of cruel, mocking laughter that pierced her soul and tore viciously at her heart. It echoed around the room and filled her ears.

They hated her this much?

They wanted her to suffer this much?

_Stop it!_

Her breathing quickened suddenly, short uncontrolled breaths while her hands began to claw at the hard floor. Emotions boiled away within in her, becoming a storm's fury her body could barely contain, like a hurricane. She felt like she was breaking, like her very skin was going to burst from the pressure she felt within.

Her fingers clawed at the hard floor.

_Stop it!_

A tear splashed against the ground.

_Don't you dare!_

She could feel it building in her with a terrible force, ready to explode. She knew she wasn't going to be able to stop herself.

_YES YOU WILL!_

Bawling her hands into fists and screwing her face in a torture mask of anguish, Ranma screamed into the floor. The soul wrenching wail born of exhaustion and stress and pent up emotions erupted through the gymnasium, reverberating off the interior, rising above the laughter, and ripping through everyone around her.

Within seconds the laughter died away, the student's looks of amusement slowly turning to ones of shock, disbelief and shame; even as her scream faded, leaving her mouth open in a silent scream. Silence descended upon them all as they stared at the trembling red head, not quite sure what to think, shaken by Ranma's sudden outburst. Even the girls who been hostile and cold to her all day were seeing her in a different light than they had before, one that made them question their actions.

Ranma's body slump, the tense muscles in her back and shoulders sagging finally and leaving the girl shaking violently, her face nearly as red as her hair… Then, with horrified realization she remembered where she was, her eyes widening once more.

_YOU STUPID FOOL!_

Before anyone could blink, the red sprang to her feet, shrugging off the hands of her ex-fiancée's and sprinted from the building…

….

…

…

…

….

"What is wrong with them!" Akane stormed furiously as she pushed through a thick grouping of bushes.

"If it's any consolation," Nabiki started with a dry tone, pausing as she followed her youngest sister's path through the bushes. "I don't think they're going to be doing it again. Not after that."

Ukyo growled. "The stupid jack asses shouldn't have done it to begin with!"

Akane had forgotten how fast Ranma was.

By the time they had gotten outside the red head had disappeared, leaving only a trail of confused onlookers in her wake as she had dashed into the forest. Ranma's outburst had left them all shaken, the other students even more then the three of them. None of the other students had understood what it was that Ranma was going through, and Akane doubted that anyone could at this point. But the red head's scream had frightened her.

It had frightened all of them; or at the very least left them all stunned.

She just hoped the red head was alright.

"Ranma!" she called out.

Her voiced echoed through the forest and was swallowed up by the deafening chirps of birds and insects. Her features softened, losing the angry edge they'd had before as worry started to overwhelm her. Ranma probably wouldn't have even been forced to come back to school so soon if she hadn't brought it up the other day. She was convinced it was her fault that Ranma was going through this now.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

Ukyo gave her a look. "You hear that right?"

_Thwack!_

Akane nodded.

_Thwack! Thwack!_

"Sounds like it's coming from this way," Nabiki suddenly started off in the direction she was talking about, forcing them to follow her.

The thwacking sound became louder as they drew closer, and the sound of angry sobs accompanying the series of violent whip crack like impacts. Akane winced each time, already having a clear idea of what was making that noise.

They broke into a small clearing suddenly, skidding to a halt at the sight of Ranma slamming her fists over and over again into the trunk of a large tree. The entire tree shook with each punch, leafs raining down around the red head. Ranma barely seemed to notice them, tears streaming down her face, the whites of her eyes red and sore as she tried to choke back her sobs. Akane gasped when she the girls hands, torn and bloody, spraying splatters of crimson across the bare trunk. Nabiki and Ukyo shot her worried glances.

"Ranma st….stop!" she stammered.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" the red head hissed venomously without turning around.

Akane couldn't help but flinch.

She remembered all too clearly what happened the last time she had tried to get the fiery martial artist to calm down. The youngest Tendo wasn't too eager to be knocked on her ass again in the heat of the moment. She didn't think Ranma would do that again, but the fact was that it had already happened once…

"Ranma look at your hands! You're hurting yourself!" she shot her a pleading look but the other girl ignored it.

Instead the red head shook her head rapidly. "I'm not going back!"

Akane held her hands up and slowly stepped forward. "It's ok. We're not going to make you go back, but you've got to stop! We can go back to your mother's; you don't have to worry about the others, ok?"

Ranma whirled around; her face a flushed, twisted mask of pain and rage.

"IT'S NOT JUST THEM! IT'S EVERYTHING! IT'S EVERYONE! ITS ME! I look in the mirror and I don't see me anymore! I feel like I'm constantly on the verge of losing whatever's left of my sanity! I don't even feel like I'm in control of myself anymore! Look at what happened today!" Ranma snapped. "I'm angry! Angry at them! Angry at myself for letting them get to me! I'm angry for letting a bunch of perverts get to me! Angry at letting those stupid girls get to me! It was stupid and humiliating!"

Akane wanted to stop her there and tell her it was ok, that she had every right to react the way she did. But, she knew that would just upset the girl more; it wasn't what she wanted to hear at the moment. She wished she was more like Kasumi. She wished she had her eldest sister's knack for knowing what to do say when it mattered. She knew Kasumi would know what to say.

"And it's not just that! I'm tired of being exhausted and mentally drained! I can't do it anymore! It's driving me insane! I don't want to be a girl anymore….I don't want this! I'm not this damn it! I'm not a girl! But, I know I can't ever go back!" she cried, her entire body shaking as she stared desperately at them, her eyes quivering and watery. "…And knowing that is killing me!"

They stared at her, not knowing what to do.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL THAT IS?" with a scream born of frustration, Ranma spun around and with all her strength she slammed her fist into the tree once more, letting out an ear splitting shriek of pain as the trunk split through to the other side and toppled over with a thundering crash.

"Probably not nearly as painful as that," Nabiki murmured dryly, only for Akane to glare furiously at her. "What?"

With a piece of wood embedded between two knuckles and clutching her busted hand, Ranma sagged to her knees, doubling over and started to sob uncontrollably. They were sobs of frustration and uncertainty. They were the sobs of someone that was lost and didn't know what to do. The other girls stared at her in shock, Akane most of all. She had never seen Ranma appear so vulnerable in all the time she had known the martial artist. For the first time she didn't see the red head as her ex-fiancé, the would be man amongst men, heir of the Saotome and Tendo Anything Goes schools, or the one that had saved her life so many times…

No.

Instead she saw a frightened young girl.

Akane moved to the red head's side, and settled down next to her and gently put an arm across her shoulder.

"I'm sick of feeling this way," Ranma sobbed softly. "I hate it! My emotions, they're all messed up. They're all tangled and twisted together. I try to shut them out but I can't. I'm sick of crying! I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction except the one I want to go! I'm sick of it! One minute I'm angry as hell, the next I'm bawling my eyes out! I want it to stop, I need it to…I never had this problem before…I'm not suppose to be like this…"

"It's ok Ranma, we're here for you. You don't have to figure this out by yourself," Akane told her as soothingly as she could.

Ukyo knelt down in front of the smaller girl, pulling the ribbon from her hair. "Let me see that hand of yours."

As gently as she could the Okonomiyaki chef pulled the chunk of wood from the girl's delicate, busted hand with a spurt of blood. Ranma flinched, her tear streaked features wincing as she stared distantly at the small wound. Ukyo offered an apologetic glance before she started to bandage the hand up with the length of material.

"I don't know what to do," Ranma whispered quietly.

Akane sighed. She wanted to be able to give the girl the answers that she so desperately wanted, but she didn't even know where to start. She was hardly the right person to help Ranma understand all this.

…But maybe she knew someone who could…

"Ranma, why don't you talk to Dr. Tofu?" she asked.

The red head stared at her in confusion. "What can he do?"

Akane gave her a patient look. "He's a doctor isn't he? Well aside from Cologne he's the only person I can think of that might be able to help you. At the very least he might be able to explain why your emotions have been running as high as they have. And you trust him don't you?"

Ranma nodded slowly.

"Well then you should go talk to him," she replied. After a long stretch of silence, Ranma nodded again, reluctance spiralling around her blue orbs. Her eyes became half lidded, exhaustion starting to catch up with her at last. "Maybe we should get you home first, and then we can talk more about th –"

A rustling in the bushes suddenly distracted her, drawing the attention of the four of them as the rustling grew louder.

Akane felt her heart stop and her blood turn cold as she saw flash of a yellow and black bandanna.

A snarling hiss flew from the Ranma as Ryoga suddenly appeared, sputtering and cursing, frustration swirling about him.

"Where the hell am I no–" the words caught in the boy's throat as he turned, eyes widening with surprise. "…Ranma."

The passing of time around seemed to freeze in the instant Ryoga's eyes locked with Ranma's, a cold dark silencing falling across them as Akane felt the red head's body suddenly tense. Ryoga recognize the danger immediately and was starting to back away, even as Ranma rose from the ground, starting to tremble once more; only, Akane knew it wasn't with anguish this time.

Ranma suddenly sprung to her feet and leapt through the air.

"Ryo…GA!"

...

...

...

Rage danced across Ranma's eyes as she flew at the teenage boy, screaming like a banshee as her delicate hands squeezed into deadly fists; crimson liquid oozing from the aggravated wounds spread across her knuckles. Jaws clenched tightly she pushed against the pain arcing through her hands, her focus locked on the boy ahead of her as she snarled like an animal.

"You will pay!" she screeched.

Ryoga twisted away in a panic as her 'good' fist knifed through the air near his hip, eyes going wide as the fabric of his shirt split open in a neat perfect line. Ranma pivoted on her left foot, whirling around with the ball of her right slamming into his chest. Ryoga slid backwards from the force of it, staring in shock at the small girl and the thin layer of ki surrounding her hands. Ranma sneered, moving to attack again.

"It's because of you I have to suffer!" she pointed accusingly.

"Ranma don't!" Akane cried as she and Ukyo came after her.

She turned her furious gaze on the two, freezing them in their tracks. "STAY OUT OF THIS!"

She turned her attention back to Ryoga, rage surging inside her like a turbulent dark sea. Every fibre of her soul was screaming at her to kill him. Her body shook from the core out, rippling with the need to tear him apart. No one would stop her this time. She would have her revenge and there was nothing anyone could say that would persuade her otherwise.

He had to pay.

"Ranma you don't want to do this…" Ryoga's features shifted into a serious frown. "…It isn't you!"

The red head snarled. "SHUT UP AND DIE YOU STUPID PIG!"

There was resounding crack of flesh against flesh, Ranma's fist slamming against the back of Ryoga's forearm as it flashed between them to block her attack. She winced suddenly as a fresh wave of pain stung through her hand. Ryoga's body was like a solid wall of steel. He didn't even flinch from the strike, she realized with a flash of anger running through her.

The bastard was toying with her!

With a roar Ranma threw her entire body at him, slamming him backwards with surprising force. Her fists became a blur as they smashed repeatedly into the boy's abdomen with the speed of the _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken,_ ignoring the jarring pain that lanced through her arms with each punch. Ryoga's eyes went wide with shock, but even still she knew her attacks had to be little more then mosquito stings in comparison to him. It only served to fuel her anger, driving him backwards towards a large tree.

Then he was gone; twisting sideways away from her punches. Ranma gasped; too late to turn away before crashing into the same tree she'd planned to ram him into. She cried out as she slammed into it, her sternum and collar bones protesting against the pain racing through them as she tried to catch her breath. Exhaustion was clawing at her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. She needed to sleep; she could feel it in her weary limps as she struggled to fight against it. Her vision blurred for a second as she turned glaring into the eyes of her target before focusing once more, slight dizziness washing over her.

"I'm going to kill you," she growled.

"Ranma stop this before you hurt yourself!" Ryoga shouted.

"GO TO HELL!" she screamed, and lunged once more.

Without warning Ryoga stepped into her attack, his hands catching Ranma by the shoulders and slammed her backwards into the tree again.

"I SAID STOP IT!" he roared with a desperate pleading look in his eyes, his face mere inches from her own.

Silence fell upon them, Akane, Ukyo and Nabiki watching in shock as the two fighters went still, standing like statues. The only sound was a rustling in the trees as a cool breeze blew past. Ranma glared, breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight, her chest rising and falling with effort, shivering as her eyes became unavoidably locked with Ryoga's own green orbs. The red head felt his aura as clear as day, pulsing and surging around them, mingling with her own. She could feel his warm breath on her face; becoming more acutely aware of his closeness, forcing an involuntary blush to creep across her face as her body reacted of its own accord. She felt her heart pounding rapidly as a wave of emotion swirled and adrenalin surged through her body.

She swallowed; suddenly nervous.

Ryoga's voice was barely a whisper as he stared down at her: "You're going to…hurt yourself, Ranma"

Strings of angry curses and insults raced to the forefront of her mind, an explosive tirade that died in her throat before she could even give voice to it. Everything suddenly seemed to slip away from her, everything around her except the pair of eyes she couldn't even force herself to pull away from, even as the fight drained from her limbs.

She trembled at what she saw.

Her mind raced as she saw the depths of pain and guilt trapped within those eyes. She had never noticed it before, never noticed that he wasn't exaggerating when he proclaimed his sufferings to those that would listen. He really was suffering, and she knew that she was partly responsible for some of that pain; for his own Jusenkyo curse at the very least. She was the reason he had been cursed in the first place, because of her own recklessness and careless arrogance. But there was also a hint of sad guilt in his gaze when he looked at her now, knowing that he was partly to blame for her current situation.

She remembered the hate and anger he once looked at her with; when he wanted to kill her for her part in knocking him into the spring and for all the times she had teased and tricked him, and made a fool of him.

Had she ever apologized for any of it?

If she had, had she even meant it?

And now here she was, doing what he had done, placing all the blame for her situation on him when she had been the one to make the choice. She had chosen to save him instead of stealing the cure. It had ended horribly but it had still been her choice. She had blamed him because it was easy and convenient for her.

"_You're always blaming others for your problems!" _

With a sickening sensation gripping her gut, and her father's words echoing off the inside of her skull she realized that it had been one of the few times he had been right. Few and far between that they were, there were times when it was not uncommon for her father to hit the truth right on the head.

How many pearls of wisdom had she ignored simply because she could only see him as a stupid old fool?

Now she looked at Ryoga with the fear that she had wrongly placed the blame for it all on him. She had selfishly let her anger and anguish get in the way of thinking clearly, and let her emotions control her.

He wasn't to blame, but he took it anyway…

Why?

Why would he do that?

Why would he let himself become the focus of her anger like that?

He didn't deserve that…not after how she had treated him in the past…

She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she felt her own anger evaporating like steam to the wind; all the hate flowing out of her, draining away and leaving her shaking under his incredibly powerful and pleading gaze, left with only her pain, humiliation and the shame she felt rising within herself.

Everything was crystallizing before her. The past couple of weeks that had crawled by and left her in a daze suddenly became clear before her. She saw herself. Saw those around her that had tried to help, by simply being there or with words of advice and encouragement.

They hadn't given up on her…

But, she had…

"_Oh Kami-sama, what have I been doing…?" _the mental cry echoed through her.

Ranma pitched forward suddenly against Ryoga, his hands keeping her from falling to her knees as her legs lost the strength to support her; she started to cry; a rush of emotion she couldn't stop even if she had the will to. She buried her face in his shirt, staining it with her blood as her hands reached up and screwed the material up in her clenched fists, not caring who it was, how it looked or who saw.

Some part of her knew…

Ryoga was stunned, not knowing what to do. "Ranma…"

…that she needed this.

...

...

Present

...

...

A sombre mood hung in the air, a pensive quiet as Akane and Ukyo waited at the bathroom door with the beautiful middle-aged woman Ryoga was shocked to learn was Ranma's mother. Although the more he looked at her now, the more he saw the resemblance between her and the younger red head.

Surprise nearly crept into his face as he caught himself imaging what Ranma might look like, older.

He fought against the blush that threatened to colour his cheeks.

He blinked, confused. _"Where the hell did that come from?"_

Mrs Saotome was trying not to show it, but the distress in the older woman's eyes was clear as she looked back and forth between the bathroom door and the two girls across from her. And why not, Ryoga thought. Ranma's display had even left him unnerved, so he could only imagine what she must be going through.

He couldn't help but wonder about his own mother; wondering if she ever worried about him. It had been years since he had seen either of his parents, thanks to the family curse…

Unavoidably and not for the first time as he sat there at the top of the stairs, his mind drifted back to the forest. He had expected his long time rival to kick and scream and to curse him until she was blue in the face when he pinned her to the tree like that. He didn't expect her to break down the way she had. It frightened him. He could still feel her body trembling and the crushing looks of realization in her eyes. What had been running through her mind, he wondered?

Had he just made things worse…?

He still felt a surge of discomfort at the way the red head's mother had looked at him when the girls had told the older woman about Ranma's outburst. She wasn't angry with him, nor did she look at him as if it were his fault. No, she looked at him with a strange curiosity that made him feel uneasy.

Glancing at the bathroom door again he wondered if he shouldn't just leave now and spare Ranma any discomfort his being there might cause her. After breaking down in front of him; against him no less and holding on to him like she was going to fall away, she may be too embarrassed to even look at him. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her anymore pain after all.

Yet he felt compelled to stay…

"Maybe we should go in and see if she's ok," Akane suggested quietly, reaching for the door even as she did. Nodoka grabbed her gently by the wrist, flashing up so quickly Ryoga almost missed it. Akane stared back her, surprise at being stopped. "Mrs Saotome?"

"This is something Ranma needs to do alone Akane…" Though the look in her eyes told Ryoga that she wanted just as much to tear down the door as Akane and Ukyo did. It was the natural instinct to protect and comfort her child struggling to break free.

Then, without warning the bathroom door slid open.

A momentary silence followed as Ranma stood there, staring through tired half lidded eyes, steam rising in small wisps from her bare shoulders and arms. Her red locks were still damp; half heartedly dried and only pulled back in a loose pony tail. Her knuckles were still raw, and faint bruises were starting to appear across her flesh; Ryoga worried for a moment that he had caused them. Ranma though barely seemed to notice them as she slowly looked at each of them in turn.

She looked like hell…

...

...

...

"Ranma, how are you feeling dear?" her mother asked carefully, unable to mask the concern in her tone.

Ranma didn't say anything, looking up at her mother with sore eyes.

What could she say? She didn't even understand what she was feeling. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts that refused to stay still long enough for her to examine properly yet. The day's events were still fresh in her mind, and she was drained from the emotional outburst she couldn't even begin to control, still feeling the tender, raw sensation within herself.

She felt like she was walking a knife's edge; that a light touch might set her off once more.

And yet…she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she knew that it was in no small part thanks to the breakdown she had suffered

How was she suppose to make sense of that?

She shook her head. "I don't know… I just…I just want to sleep…"

She was so tired she could have fallen asleep standing up. All the half night sleeps she had suffered, and the few nights where it had eluded her altogether were catching up to her quickly. Her limbs already felt heavy and it was an effort just to keep her chin up and her eyes open.

She looked at them slowly, feeling a small touch of embarrassment when her eyes finally came to rest on Ryoga's, and stains of blood smeared across his yellow singlet. She felt like an idiot for losing control of herself in front of him of all people.

Part of her wanted to be angry at him, but she just couldn't.

"I'm sorry," her mother said suddenly. "I shouldn't have forced you to go back so soon. It was inconsiderate of me."

"No, you were right to make me go back," Ranma replied quickly, surprising them all with her tone of absolute certainty. She looked down at her feet, suddenly trying to figure how to explain what she meant. "I mean…What happened today… I wish it hadn't happened, but it was my fault it did. Rather then deal with everything, I kept bottling up everything I was feeling and refused to deal with it. If I hadn't been so stubborn and listened to what everyone was telling me, maybe today would have been different. What happened today, needed to happen."

They stared at her in surprise.

It was probably the most insightful she had ever been in her entire life…

"I needed to see how I've been acting," she went on, chewing her lower lip. "I saw everything so clearly. I've been a fool, and a pain in the ass and I'm sorry. No, let me finish," she said when her mother went to protest. "I know I've got every right to be upset by what's happened to me, any normal person would be. But, I'm tired of moping around wishing I could change what happened and knowing I can't. I don't want to do that anymore, I'm sick of it and I'm tired of being angry. I know its not going to be easy and I'm not going to be able to stop feeling this way overnight, but I've gotta start trying."

Even considering the idea of learning to accept that this was her life from now on left a bad taste in her mouth; like she was admitting defeat. At the back of her mind she knew this wasn't true, it was just the part of her that wanted to keep making it hard for her. No, to her it wasn't admitting defeat; rather it was as if she was taking up an even more difficult challenge. Still, from this point forward everything was going to be different. The future she had once imagined was gone now, replaced with an unfamiliar path she would have to walk; and, deep down, knowing that she didn't know what was ahead of her, scared the hell out of her.

It must have shown on her face, because her mother rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "It's ok dear; you don't have to do this alone. We're all here for you when you need us."

Ranma nodded slowly.

"Get some sleep honey, we can talk more about this in the morning when you're more awake," her mother added, seeing the obvious exhaustion behind her blue eyes.

Silently she started towards her room, pausing as her hand grabbed the handle. She sighed, then turned her head silently to glance at Ryoga who was trying his hardest not to look out of place and give her some distance. She couldn't deny the shame and guilt she felt when she looked at him, knowing she had behaved badly and disgraced herself.

She couldn't take back what she had done or said, but she could at least face up to it…

"I'm sorry for attacking you…" she said quietly and without giving the stunned boy a chance to respond, she disappeared into her room, and collapsed on her bed…

…And, was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

**A/N:**

**Ok! **

**Well that chapter bloody drained the hell out of me. **

**Both parts of it. **

**I'm glad it's finished though because now I can focus on moving the story more in the direction I want it to go in.**

**I want to make it clear that while Ranma is starting to come around now, it doesn't mean that she's automatically going to start acting all cheery and accepting of her new life. That's not what the ending of this chapter is about. There's still a long road a head of Ranma at this point. But even still this chapter should be the end of the overwhelming angst, at least for a while.**

**Also I feel the need to explain my reasoning behind the ki attack Ranma used against Ryoga when she cut through his shirt. I took creativity liberties with that because the way I see it, if Ryoga can use his ki to harden his belt or bandanna's, then Ranma would be more then capable of using it in the way I described. So please, no remarks saying that Ranma's never done that in the magna/anime because I know she/he hasn't.**

**Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to get the next one done asap. The next one shouldn't be as full on as this one was for me though and I'll hopefully get it don't quickly, as it shouldn't be a very long one either. **

**If you've got any questions you want to ask, feel free to email me at ****.au**** or PM me and I'll try to answer them as best I can.**

**Till next time ^_~**


	7. Chapter 7: The Long Road

**A/N: **

**See, I said I would try to get this chapter finished as soon as possible ^_^**

**I'll make this quick.**

**To Guardoflight: I know Nabiki is in another class, she's also a year above Akane and Ranma. However I've noticed that in the anime and manga whenever there's sports or gym classes going on, there's more students around than belong to one year. Its not much of a stretch to believe that Nabiki's year may have been off doing other activities inside the gym or just outside. **

**And with that out of the way, on with the chapter.**

Chapter 7

_The Long Road_

The dojo was flooded with light that streamed in through the shoji screens and the main entrance, its doors thrown wide open. A cool and steady breeze flowing through the training hall; sweeping out the smell of sweat and filling it with the scents of grass and winter flowers. Ranma tried to block it all out as she moved slowly in circle around her opponent, arms raised and ready to strike. She felt her gi ripple slightly against the persistence of the breeze, breaching the openings of the lightweight clothing and travelling along her arms and legs; sending a shiver through her as a lock of hair gently kissed side of her forehead. Ranma felt her muscle tense with anticipation; felt the ki surging through her limps as she let it flow freely.

Ukyo gazed back at her with her eyes set like hardened steel, cold and professional as they sized her up. The chef's giant spatula was held poised and gripped tightly, the light reflecting along the length of the shaft. The okonomiyaki chef was like a statue, throwing aside the school girl and letting the warrior take over.

Then she twitched.

Ranma spun sideways as her ex cleaved through the air; the floor echoing with a resounding crack as the spatula split through the floorboards. The red head sprung forward, her small form gliding effortlessly to the side as a set of spatula shurikens raced passed her head. Ukyo reeled back in surprise as Ranma came at her, hands slicing towards her face. The chef ducked and weaved out of the way with all the speed she could muster, eyes wide with a touch of fear edging in from the corners.

Ranma felt a cocky grin tug at the corners of her lips.

Then Ukyo planted her foot in her center of her abdomen.

Air tearing up out of her lungs, the red head was sent flying backwards across the floor. Curses flew through her mind for letting herself get over confident. She'd let herself forget that Ukyo wasn't some amateur with only a couple of lessons under her belt.

She sprung up from the floor, flipping backwards as another set of spatula shurikens thwacked into the ground one after another where she'd just been. She felt her feet land against the far wall of the training hall, her knee's bending as she crouched on it, suspended off the ground for a brief second, time slowing as she looked at Ukyo, trying to read her next move.

Then she launched from it.

She flew through the air like a tiny red headed missile, shifting her shoulder slightly as Ukyo thrust her giant weapon at her; its edge just slicing off a few strands of stray hair. Ranma threw a punch that caught the chef across the shoulder, spinning her sideways and throwing her off balance. The red head dropped into a crouch, her leg sweeping around and collecting the other's girl's feet from under her.

Ukyo squealed in surprise as the world suddenly turned upside down and landed heavily on her back. Her spatula flew from her hands, even as Ranma leapt up and snatched it out of the air, spinning it around with lightning speed and bringing the bladed tip to a hairs width from her sparring partner's neck.

Ranma cocked a grin. "Give?"

Annoyance flashed across Ukyo's eyes. "Never! But I'll let you off easy today."

A second of silence followed before both of them started to laugh in unison. Ranma fell back on her butt, enjoying the feeling of a genuine laugh for the first time in weeks, letting the tension flow out of her limbs as she wiped a thin sheet of sweat from her forehead. Her chest rose and fell with deep lungful's of breath, her heart pounding rapidly.

"You're sharp as ever," Ukyo said finally.

Ranma couldn't help but frown though.

The okonomiyaki chef was breathing normally. Her face wasn't flushed with exhaustion.

"Damn it!" She cursed inwardly as an irritated change washed over her face as she stared at the other girl. "You let me win…"

"I did no such thing!" Ukyo protested with an insulted air about her, but Ranma saw the brief flash of worried guilt creep into the other girl's eye, and when she tried to break eye contact, it only confirmed it for her.

Ranma swore loudly and jumped up, surprising Ukyo.

"How am I suppose to get back to what I was like if you're not going to take this serious Ukyo!" she demanded angrily as she stated pacing. "I asked you to spar with me because I thought you of all people wouldn't hold back!"

There was of course Shampoo that she could have asked, but she wasn't that stupid. The blue haired Chinese girl was likely to accidentally kill her in the heat of the moment.

Ukyo sighed. "I'm sorry Ran-chan… I was worried I might hurt you…..."

With a loud crack, Ranma slammed her fist into a wooden practice dummy, a network of cracks spreading across the surface in an instant. Ukyo flinched, and looked down at her feet in shame. Ranma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A familiar surge frustration flushed through her. She wasn't sure what she hated most. The fact that her friend thought she was that weak now that she needed to go easy on her, or that she was right.

Was this how her few female opponents had felt in the past, that she had refused to fight them simply because they were girls? No wonder they were usually so pissed at her, being treated like second rate fighters just because of their gender…

She was not looking forward to being treated the same way…

"I'm sorry…" Ukyo repeated softly.

"Don't be," Ranma shook her head. She turned to the other girl with a pleading look. "But, if you want me to be who I use to be, then you can't treat me like I'm some fragile toy, Uuchan…I don't want or need special treatment just because I'm stuck like this. If you spar with me, I expect you to fight me with everything you have, not like I'm some bug you can crush under your heel that you feel sorry for."

Ukyo gave her a careful stare, walking calmly up to her and looked her up and down. Ranma suddenly felt like an insect being studied under a microscope.

"So this doesn't hurt?" the other girl poked her in the abdomen suddenly.

Before she could stop herself, Ranma gasped loudly and doubled over, clutching at herself as her face twisted in pain. Ukyo stood over her with her hands on her hips giving her a patient stare.

"No, it doesn't," Ranma protested stubbornly through clenched teeth.

Ukyo sighed again. "Ranma, while we're not exactly made of glass. Most girls don't have the ability to take the same amount of physical damage that most guys can. We're not weaker because of it, but it does mean we have to be smarter and more careful in a fight. You're talking about becoming what you used to be, but you have to understand that you're never going to be able to take the kind of punishment you used to be able to against strong opponents. Imagine if that kick had been one of Ryoga's punches; you'd have been pulverized!"

As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, Ranma knew she was right.

She let and exasperated breath and crossed her arms, pouting. "I just want to be the martial artist I used to be before this whole mess. And that means working out and I don't have Pops to spar with so that means I need people that can match me. I'm so weak at the moment, it's pathetic. My attacks didn't even faze Ryoga the other day!"

She didn't miss the frown that creased Ukyo's brow.

"Don't give me that look," she added darkly. "I aint plannin on attacking him again so stop worrying. Not unless the idiot does something stupid to piss me off."

"Oh, so it's a given then," Ukyo replied dryly. She held her hands up in a placating manner when Ranma shot her a warning look. "Even still, you know better then anyone how hard it is to hurt Ryoga. Even when you were male you had trouble getting through his defences. The only reason you were ever able to beat him is because you were able to deliver punches like his but with greater speed and that's your strength. You're never going to be as physically strong as you used to be, but you should know better then anyone that physical strength isn't nearly as important as brains in a real fight."

Ranma didn't feel nearly as comforted by that as she should have.

It had only been a couple of days since the whole fiasco at the school and she was still trying to make sense of it all. Being told straight out that she was never going to be as strong as she used to be wasn't really something she wanted to hear at the moment.

Even if it was something she had to hear.

"You've been out of the game for nearly two months now sugar. You spent a month mostly unconscious. You haven't had any real practice and your last big battle ended with…well you know. My point is Ranma, you're worried you're not strong enough, but your body is just sluggish from not being used the way it's been trained to. Once you get back into the swing of things you'll be back to fighting form in no time at all," her ex added reassuringly, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard too fast. You'll just hurt yourself."

Ranma smiled faintly, and nod slightly.

She glanced timidly from the corner of her eye at her ex, unsure how to ask her what she wanted to. She was still trying to make herself get used to the idea of talking about her feelings. It still didn't feel right to her, but she didn't want a repeat of what had happened to the school. She didn't want to bottle up what was bothering her just because it made her uncomfortable to talk about. After all she was seventeen, not that far off eighteen. It wasn't like she was a kid anymore.

"Ukyo…" she couldn't mask the hesitation in her tone.

"Yes Ran-chan?" Ukyo sat down across her. "What is it?"

Ranma paused, chewing the inside of her cheek lightly as she considered her words. "…I was wondering, my emotions…how they've been all over the place lately…is that because I'm girl now?" Ukyo stiffened noticeably and Ranma knew immediately she had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," she added quickly.

Ukyo sighed and shook her head. "No, you did mean it. It's ok though, its how your idiot father raised you. I don't blame you for that, but there are plenty of girls that would, like a certain Tendo we both know."

Ranma couldn't help but smile, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Anyway…" Ukyo continued with a small smile of her own. "Women tend to be more sensitive then men to the emotions of others and I will admit we can be overly emotional about some things. BUT, really when you get right down to it, it run's in both directions sugar. There are a lot of men out there that can be just as sensitive to emotions as women can be, just as there are women out there that don't want to deal outwardly with feelings, both their own and those around them. So, to answer your question… no…I don't think what you're going through is because you're a girl. Not entirely at least."

Ranma nodded silently, her face scrunched up in thought. She knew it wouldn't be as simple as being able to blame it all on gender.

Some things sounded so simple, while others just seemed so unbelievably complicated.

She didn't understand why it had to be so hard.

"_Why don't you talk to Dr Tofu?"_

Akane's words filtered into her mind suddenly. She had pushed the idea aside after her outburst, her mind else where as she dealt with everything she was putting herself through. When Akane had first brought it up, she hadn't really been in the right frame of mind to consider the pro's of talking to Tofu, but now that she thought about it, now that she was calmer and thinking more clearly, she was starting to think the doctor might be the best person to go to for help. He seemed to known something about everything and had always been helpful in the past and sensitive to her curse.

There was Cologne of course, but her dealings with the old ghoul in the past had left a bitter taste in her mouth. Despite everything the Amazon Matriarch had taught her – the _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken_ and the _Hiryū Shōten Ha_ – she didn't trust the old woman as much as she probably should.

Things were different now though, she reminded herself. She was free of the marriage to Shampoo – at least she hoped so – and Shampoo hadn't seemed like she was interested in carrying out the kiss of death…

She decided after a long moment of consideration, that Cologne would be her back up choice…

….

…

…

…

….

In a relentless progression, dark clouds gathered in the sky, casting a dreary shadow across Nerima. With them returned the chill in the air, the cold biting breeze that brutally swept through the streets. The few days they'd had of warm summer-esque weather were over and winter was returning with a vengeance. There was a chance of snow in those clouds that would blanket the town in a soft powdery and icy white.

Cold dark eyes swept the expanse of the Nerima district, face twisted in a sneering scowl at a stream of bitter thoughts that would not quit. This place held frustrating feelings for the man. He had waited a long time to get back here; to get another chance. There was no doubt there would be another chance, it had just been a matter of patience, of which he had very little.

But it had paid off finally, and he would at last get the revenge he sorely deserved…

The immense figure did not turn when a smaller one walked up from behind him. A short puggy man with a self assured look in his eyes; The look of a man who knew he was right even when he was wrong – which was often – and didn't care what anyone else said.

He was a man comforted by the delusions and ideologies he immersed themselves in.

They both were.

The only difference between them was that the larger man was not afraid to get his hands dirty if he had to.

And even if he didn't…

The larger man grinned violently. "I will enjoy this."

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma crossed her arms, rubbing the sides of her upper arms as her breath frosted lightly in front of her face, wishing she had grabbed a sweater and cursing the sudden but not unexpected change in the weather. She grumbled, vowing death to the weatherman for predicting the end of the warm days. It didn't really matter to her that it didn't work that way; as far as she was concerned it was entirely the weatherman's fault. If not for the change, then for not giving her enough warning.

The red head nearly sighed with relief as she stepped inside the doctors' office, the interior warm and inviting as always. The chill in her bare forearms slowly fled her limbs as she rubbed her hands together. She glanced around, noting the lack of patients.

It wasn't an uncommon sight.

It was rare to see anyone in the waiting room. She had always wondered if that was because people in the area rarely got sick or hurt or if it was because Tofu was just that good. She was willing to go with the later, knowing from experience the skills the good doctor possessed, complete with a reassuring bedside manner and a sense of humour many in his field lack.

Of course if Kasumi was here, or had been …

… Ranma suddenly felt very nervous…

"Oh, hello Ranma," Tofu suddenly emerged from the examining room. "What can I do for you?"

She did breathe a sigh of relief this time when she saw that his eyes weren't glazed over with irrational joy.

That was a good sign that Hurricane Tofu hadn't occurred.

He tilted his head in concern. "You ok Ranma? You got a strange look in your eyes."

"Eh…I'm fine," she replied quickly. "Um… Doctor Tofu, I just wanted to….eh… ask –"

"Some questions?" Tofu smiled as he interrupted her. She nodded meekly. "I thought so. I thought you would have come by sooner than this."

"I've had a lot on my mind…" she explained, shrugging slightly, not knowing what else to say really.

Tofu nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm glad you decided to finally. If you had taken much longer, I was going to come and see you myself. I would like to give you a check up. I want to make sure your body is healing properly after your ordeal. You went through a lot and were very weak when Ryoga brought you back. I don't think the intention was to kill you, but the person that left you in that state very nearly did. You were lucky."

Memories of the guardian flashed through her head, her body shivering in fear at the sheer overwhelming force he had brought to bear on herself and Ryoga. She still couldn't believe that even with their best attacks they hadn't been able to hurt him. She hadn't even been able to use her _Hiryū Shōten Ha_ because he had kept breaking her spiral.

Doctor Tofu led her into one of the examining rooms and motioned for her to sit on one of the beds as he retrieved his instruments.

"So, what is it that you wanted to ask, Ranma?" he asked calmly, as he approached with a stethoscope and pulled a chair next to the bed.

She told him about everything that had happened since she had woken up. About how she had been acting and all the emotions she had been feeling, and even about her lack of sleep. He listened with genuine patience and interest. He didn't look at her as if she was overreacting or being silly. She supposed that it was his job to be interested when listening to a patient so he could help them properly. Perhaps it was the male side of her that had expected him to scoff at what she was telling him, and tell her that it wasn't important.

"So you're scared that you're feeling this way because you're a girl now?" he asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Could you turn around and lift the back of shirt please?" he told her as he considered her words.

She did it hesitantly, turning her back to him as she crossed her legs and raised the shirt. She couldn't help but flinch when the cold metal of the stethoscope pressed against her skin.

"Well, from a strictly medical stand point Ranma, I don't think what you're feelings is because you're a girl now. From what you've described it sounds as if you're suffering from a hormonal imbalance," he explained. "Men suffer from this as commonly as women do, so its not really a question of gender, more then it is of cause. For you, I believe your imbalance is due to the fact that you've never been in your female form this long before. Though you probably noticed that you felt differently at times when you've been stuck before, but never really gave it much thought."

Ranma considered that for a moment, trying to think back to the times Cologne and Herb had trapped her, and even the time when she had been stuck in the iron corset and couldn't change back without potentially killing herself. Maybe she had felt differently on those occasions, but if she had, she had been too preoccupied with everything else that was going at the time to care.

"And of course always being able to change back to your male form meant that you always had more of the hormonal chemicals found in men surging through your body than female ones. Now that you're a girl, your body is trying to find a common ground. This is something it's never really experienced before. Simply put Ranma, your female body is going through an accelerated rate of puberty, trying to make up for lost time so to speak. You've been this way for about close to two months now right, so I think your body will start to balance itself out pretty soon, but you have to understand that's it not something you can will to stop or change. Your emotions are bound to rise and fall, but it's nothing to be ashamed of." Tofu continued as he moved the stethoscope around. Suddenly he leaned back. "Ok, your lungs sound good. Now to check your blood pressure. I'm betting it's going to be high, but that's to be expected, all things considered."

She turned around again and let him attach the device around her arm, all the while letting his words sink into her mind as she ignore the increasing pressure around her forearm. She wasn't entirely sure she liked the idea of being slave to her own hormones, but she supposed that was the same for anyone no matter what their gender.

Doctor Tofu nodded suddenly and there was a release of air as he stopped pumping the device. "I was right your blood pressure is a little high. Higher then it should be for someone your age, but as I said it's not unexpected considering the situation. The only thing I can recommend to do about that is that you try not to stress too much, but I suppose that's easier said then done."

She felt an embarrassed flush spread across her face. "I'm trying not to let things get to me as much as they have been. I don't think I've been as stressed as I was since the incident at school though. That really opened my eyes…"

"Well, keep at it. I know its not easy, but stressing and worrying isn't going to help matters. In fact it'll just make it worse," he pointed out as he removed the device.

Ranma could only nod. "When my body finds the right balance…does that mean I'll start to act like a girl?"

Tofu smiled, perhaps finally understanding or had been waiting for her to ask this question to begin with. "And that is the heart of the problem isn't it? You're more worried that it's going to change who you are…well you can stop worrying; I assure you that it doesn't work like that. I'm not going to lie to you, there's a lot we don't understand about how the brain works, and we only use a very small portion of it. What you're going through might affect you in small ways. I can see that it's made you more self conscious of yourself than you used to be in this body. It _might _even cause you to act more feminine at times, but it doesn't change who you are. What makes us who we are is made up of more then just chemicals."

"I'm more scared that it'll make me like…eh…" she paused nervously, fiddling with her fingers and suddenly feeling like a like a little kid. "…boys."

She told him about Ryoga, and how she had attacked him and when he had pinned her against the tree and how her body had reacted strangely to being so close to him.

At the time, she hadn't exactly disliked what she had felt, and that was the problem. If there was anything at all that was worrying her the most, it was this. It had continuously popped in and out of her mind over and over again since the incident. She didn't feel anything when she thought about it now, but she remembered feeling strange at the time. She couldn't make sense of it, no matter how hard she tried. She didn't want her body reacting that way every time she got into a fight with a guy.

She could see that Tofu was amused as she finished telling him about the incident, but he had the good taste not to joke about, not that she thought he would anyway. He simply wasn't that kind of person to make light of someone that way.

"Well, judging from what you've told me Ranma, it was a very emotional incident for you, with everything that had happened. I wouldn't be surprised if what you felt was simply a by-product of that. See, people have a certain perception of how they think they will react under certain situations, and sometimes they're right but the truth is that you never really know how you're going to react to something until it happens." He leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "I wouldn't worry about that just yet though Ranma, you'll only cause yourself more stress then you need right now, and I really don't think its anything to be concerned about."

"I suppose so," she agreed tiredly.

Perhaps she was just overreacting and letting her fears get the better of her again.

It wouldn't be the first time.

….

…

…

…

….

Old weathered features scanned the restaurant with narrowed eyes, frowning at the emptiness. Not a single table or booth was filled. There hadn't been a single customer all day; save of course for the couple of delivery orders that been placed over the phone. Never had they been without walk-in customers though, except for when they closed the place early when they needed privacy. One single day of no customers wouldn't hurt their profits of course, but Cologne wasn't keen on the idea of it happening at all.

She chocked it up to the weather though. People rarely liked to venture outside into the cold when they could stay at home and enjoy a nice hot home cooked meal. She couldn't fault them for that. There was little she could do about it, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Cologne sighed to herself.

Things had been entirely too quiet lately. She was starting to feel restless without the constant excitement she had become accustomed too since arriving in Nerima. And, she wasn't the only one; Shampoo and Mousse were showing similar signs. Perhaps they had been gone from their homeland for too long. Maybe it would soon be time to return home once more, forever…

Balancing on her staff Cologne closed her eyes in deep thought. She wondered if Shampoo would want to leave though. She knew the girl was loyal to her people, but she doubted the blue haired girl would readily abandoned the life she had made for herself here and she was fast approaching the age when she could decide for herself whether she wanted to serve her village at home or abroad. And of course, Mousse would go or stay wherever Shampoo chose to, ever the loyal would-be husband for her great – many times over – grand daughter.

Frankly she didn't want to leave either, but if her knowledge and wisdom could be put to better use training new warriors back home, than what was the point of staying?

…Her thoughts immediately drifted to Ranma and the gossip she'd overheard from numerous students the previous day. She'd almost dropped the bowls she had been preparing when she'd heard several of the students talking about what had happened at the school. At first she didn't believe it, but more and more students had come by discussing the exact same thing.

She tried to imagine the proud martial artist on her knee's the way the other Furinkan students had described, and then fleeing from the gym in humiliation. It didn't seem possible, like it was the most absurd thing she had ever heard; especially after everything Ranma had been through. But then again, she was reminded of the day Ranma had awoken and they told her she was trapped. She vividly remembered the crushed look of defeat in the red heads eyes as she had knelt there on the floor of the Tendo's bathroom, and her soul wrenching scream.

The old Amazon bitterly cursed herself.

She should have made sure those two had waited for everyone!

…

Cologne snapped her head up suddenly, ripped from her contemplations as a chill shot through her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she gripped her staff tighter. The unmistakeable presence of ki saturated the air. The malicious blood lust was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Shampoo and Mousse approached her cautiously, no doubt aware of the presence as well.

"Great grandmother?"

Without pausing to answer the young girl, Cologne rushed outside; unease settling into the pit of her stomach as she turned her gaze in the direction of the ki with a worried realization…

"Come on you two!" she snapped at the young fighters behind her, and took to the roof tops a second later.

…She knew this ki.

….

…

…

…

….

With the cold biting at her unprotected forearms, Ranma walked in silence along the street, head bowed and sparkling blue eyes set deep in thought.

The streets were nearly deserted and the clouds overhead had only seemed to get darker. A storm wasn't far off, that much was obvious. It was just a question of how long it would last for.

As she walked, the red head's mind wandered, processing what Tofu had told her. Was what she was going through simply a matter of her bodily chemicals being out of whack or was it psychological, or both? She wanted to believe that it was just the former, but her fears about what they might make her do or act was always there at the edge of her mind.

Irrational though it may have been, part of her had trouble accepting she could be a girl and still be who she had always been.

It was stupid, she knew this.

How was she suppose to make peace with all of this if she was constantly at war with herself? Why couldn't it be as simple as just putting it behind her and moving on? Why did she have to stop and consider every thought or action before she made it, just because it might be girly? No one would care if she did. She was the only one that cared after all about how she acted.

She sighed.

Maybe she was just over thinking it all…

She had resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to like all the answers she found.

Of all the things Tofu had told her though, it was knowing that her emotions would go back to normal that brightened her spirits somewhat. The constant anxiety and anger she had been experiencing lately, the pain and fear she felt, was all so exhausting. It wasn't as bad as it had been prior to her outburst a couple of days earlier, but it was still there. Perhaps when her emotions settled down, she would be able to think straight again and everything wouldn't seem so hard anymore.

She looked forward when she could feel comfortable in her own body again…even if it was a girl's body…

….Ranma looked up suddenly as a shadow fell across her, just in time to let out a squeal of alarm as she crashed hard face first into someone's chest. The force of the collision sent her staggering backwards, arms flailing wildly in a mad panic as she tried to catch her balance. Then all of a sudden a hand snatched one of hers out of the air and pulled her back on to her feet as she started to topple backwards.

She let out a sigh of relief and looked up… "Thanks. I wasn –"

…And found herself staring at Ryoga…

_Well isnt that just dandy._

Of all the people…

She looked down to realize he was still holding her hand. She snatched it away in alarm as her cheeks reddened embarrassedly.

Awkward silence blanketed them as they stood there, Ryoga looking down at his feet and Ranma looking off to the side, seeking some sort of escape. The events of the other day replayed in her head once more. She saw herself attacking him in a terrible, irrational rage.

"Sorry, Ranma," Ryoga apologized suddenly, cutting her out of her thoughts. "I wasn't watching where I was going…"

She frowned at him and his oddly sincere apology. "Don't you start treating me differently just because I'm a girl now!"

"I'm not treating you differently because of what's happened to you Ranma," he replied, calm but quietly with an honest look in his greens. She could only tilt her head, caught off balance by a sudden brush of confusion. He shrugged. "You're not the only one that's tired of being angry…"

"Well stop it," she told him. "You're not Ryoga if you're not angry."

He frowned deeply. "And you're not Ranma unless you're cocky and arrogant, so I guess we're both growing up!"

The dark haired boy's snapping retort brought the young red head up short, silencing her in an instant as he stared seriously at her, as if challenging her to keep going. Ryoga held himself tall and unflinching as he held her gaze, fire burning in his eyes and in that moment he seemed more like the old Ryoga she knew so well. Then his features softened and that calm mature air returned around him again, making him seem even more powerful.

Ranma suddenly wondered if she even stood a chance in hell of ever beating him again in a fight…

"Sorry," Ryoga shook his head with a frustrated sigh. "That didn't come out the way I meant it to…"

Perhaps he was right though, maybe they were growing up.

Ranma remembered a time when a comment like that would have provoked even her into a fight. It would have been slight against her pride that she would have been inclined to defend. But, she was starting to understand how useless pride could be at times, and how much trouble it could get you into if you were as reckless and careless as she had been. After all, it had been their pride and overwhelming ego's that had made them think they could steal the jewel in the first place. All because they thought they couldn't be beaten by anyone else except each other.

How wrong they were…

"…Are you ok?" she looked up to notice Ryoga staring questioningly at her.

She realized then that she had been staring; caught up in her own little world of thoughts…

"I've gotta go," she said finally, deciding she'd had enough. "I'll see yah around Ryoga…"

Before he even had a chance to register what she had said, she had already pushed past him and started off once more. She didn't feel comfortable talking with him at the moment. Her head was still too messed up to trust herself. She was worried she might relapse at one wrong word and start attacking him again.

She worried that if he started treating her like a girl – acting all chivalrous and like – she really would kill him…

When she reached the corner of the street, she paused and turned around. Ryoga was still standing there, shoulders sagging in defeat, but his body tensed with frustration as he took out a self drawn map. She shouldn't have been surprised that he had no idea where he was; it was a given for the poor guy. She watched as he glanced up from the map, looked off in one direction then shook his head irritably before looking back down at the map again. There was no way in hell he was going to get anywhere using that stupid thing she thought.

She looked off down the street she was about to turn down, the way home to a nice hot bath; then back at him again. She sighed…

…

…Ryoga nearly yelped in surprise when she suddenly appeared by his side, grabbed his shirt and started dragging him behind her.

"Ranma?" he tried and failed to hide his surprise and confusion from her.

"Come on you dolt," she said abruptly, making it sound as if it were more of a hassle for her than it really was. "You're never going to get back to your camp by your own with that stupid sense of direction of yours…"

Ryoga, too confused to notice the insult could only stare blankly as he allowed himself to be guided behind the determined red head.

….

…

…

…

….

Kasumi had decided that the household just didn't seem the same anymore when it was quiet and lacking the activity that Ranma's presence had brought. It was as it had been before that fateful day when a panda carrying a small red headed girl had strolled so spectacularly into their lives and turned everything upside down. Nerima had never been in short supply of oddities before, but Ranma had been like a magnet that had drawn them all in. Now there was quietness; the peacefulness that had descended upon the Tendo residence was so…so…boring…

The young woman sighed, wiping her hands with the dish cloth, after pulling out the plug in the kitchen sink.

The daily antic's that Ranma had almost always been at the center of had provided the household with a level of excitement that had long been absent from their lives.

Maybe there was still a chance it would return though…

At least she hoped so…

Reaching into one of the cupboards to take out a glass, Kasumi's hand bumped a tea cup sitting too close to the edge. Seeing it too late to do anything about it, she could only watch as the cup fell over the lip of the cupboard shelf and tumble through the air, turning a couple of times before it hit the hard floor and exploded into several pieces.

A saddened sigh escaped the young woman as she observed the scattered pieces, squatting down to collect them before someone cut their feet open.

Picking up the handle – still connected to a large fragment of the cup itself – Kasumi noticed with a strange chill shooting through her, that it was the one she had always served Ranma's tea in when they had drank together…

She turned anxiously towards the window, chewing her lower lip worriedly as she looked beyond it at the dark grey clouds.

Something didn't feel right…

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma sighed longingly for a hot bath; her body chilled all the way through to the bone by the time they reached the vacant lot, that by some unspoken claim had become Ryoga's place of residence. Though she supposed no one would be stupid enough to try and make him leave by force, not if they wanted to be able to walk again. She had often noticed the construction materials piled off to the side and wondered when they would ever get around to building something here.

"There," she gestured exasperatedly at the lonely tent in the center. "Think you can manage to get from here to there?"

Regretting his choice to accept her pity-inspired help, he glowered at her and dryly replied: "I think I can manage somehow without you."

…And then much to her disbelief, he started walking in the opposite direction!

"Oww! Hey! Stop it!" Ryoga swore in sudden pain as Ranma grabbed him by the ear and started dragging him back towards the tent. "Let go damn it!"

"I swear Ryoga there is something wrong with that pig sized brain of yours! It was right there in front of you!" the fiery red head berated him.

Dragging him along behind her brought back old memories. She remembered when she used to lead him home from school when they were both in junior high. Even back then she could have taken him straight up to his front door and he would still manage to somehow get turned around and start walking in the opposite direction.

He had always grudgingly asked for help, even if it had just been after one of his countless failed attempts to beat her in a "man to man fight." So many times she seriously thought about telling him to find his own way home, never really understanding how bad his sense of direction was. Not until she saw the barely contained fear in his eyes that he would never find his way back. It was then that she had seriously considered what it must be like to never be able to get to where you wanted to go.

The frustration alone would drive her insane.

She simply couldn't leave the poor fool to suffer like that. And that was one of her major weaknesses; she couldn't stand seeing anyone suffer.

Not unless they deserved it, and even then she had her limits…

When she was within spitting distance she all but flung him to the tent, putting her hands on her hips as she watched him stumble towards it while rubbing his reddening ear. He shot her a withering glare that she met with an equally challenging one, daring him to say whatever it was that was brewing in his mind. Instead, with his newly acquired self restraint he just shrugged his pack off and threw it irritably inside the tent, turning his back on her at last.

When he pulled his shirt off to replace it with a fresh one, he threw it carelessly on the ground, where Ranma noticed for the first time the faint blood stains across the abdomen part.

She realized suddenly, that they belonged to her.

"_He's been trying to get back here since the other night…"_ she thought with a pang of sympathy. "Ryo–"

Whatever she was going to say was forgotten an instant. They felt it at the same time, the cold chill of a hostile intent shooting through them, their bodies stiffening defensively. Ranma snapped her head around to find the source, her heart pounding anxiously in her chest.

Then Ryoga was turning. "Ranma watch out!"

Ryoga rushed toward her, arms spreading wide to guard her as his massive form towered over her. As if he had been hit with a truck, Ryoga's entire body snapped forward like a rubber band. The whites of his eyes grew huge as his pupils shrunk to the size of pin pricks, his mouth forming an 'O' of shock and a scream of pain caught in his throat. Ranma barely had time to register it all before his heavy frame crashed down on top of her, driving the air of her lungs as they hit the ground.

"Ryoga get off me!" she shouted, her body screamed sensing the approaching danger.

But he didn't move.

Something warm and wet started to soak her arms and lower body. With one arm pinned between them, she managed to pull the other one free, and in an instant the colour drained from her face.

Her forearm was covered in blood.

Ryoga's blood!

Her eyes flashed with panic and she shoved his shoulder as hard as she could. "Ryoga! Get up! Ryoga! RYOGA!"

Two figures appeared suddenly, standing over her and smiling cruelly as light reflected off the length of a giant Chinese broadsword.

Fear clawed through as she recognized them immediately.

"What do you want!" she screeched…

…She would never forget the Jusenkyo Preservation Society…

Before she could scream again, the short overweight Vice Chairman pressed a damp rag against her mouth and nose. Ranma's eyes instantly flashed wide when she realized what they were doing. Muffled screams tried to escape the chloroform soaked cloth as she struggled uselessly beneath Ryoga's dead weight.

Her eyes already starting to droop, the Vice Chairman triumphant grin widened.

"That's right, breathe it in," he chuckled. "It'll all be over soon."

"_You're right…" _she thought as the darkness started swallowed her up… _"…Because when I wake up, I'm going to kill you!"_

Then, there was nothing but black…

…**To be Continued…**


	8. Chapter 8: The Delicate Touch Pt 1

Chapter 8

_The Delicate Touch__!_

_Pt 1_

Ryoga glared irritably at Ranma as he tried to sooth his stinging ear, bearing the unmistakable impression of a finger on either side where she had pinched it so violently. Her gaze, equal to his own dared him to say something and for a breath second he almost slipped back into his old ways, so close to starting a fight with his oldest rival; but he didn't, he had made a promise to himself that he would stop being that person.

He didn't _want _to be that person anymore.

So instead he turned himself away from her and shrugged his pack off.

His bare chest shivered violently as the cool air pressed against it as he peeled off the blood stained shirt and cast it carelessly to the side. He bent down to his pack, rifling through it for his long sleeved top while trying to ignore the presence of the girl – Ranma, his former rival he reminded himself, not the young woman he kept seeing her as – standing only a few feet behind him.

His mind barely registered the shirt he had clasped tightly in his hands as he saw once more the look of pity and sympathy mixed amongst the exasperation on her face as she had led him back to the campsite, without playfully taunting him. She wasn't the Ranma he was used to dealing with. Then again nothing lately had been like what he was used to dealing with.

Ranma didn't cry.

Ranma didn't break down.

Ranma didn't get depressed.

No, nothing was the same anymore. Not Ranma, and certainly not himself.

An image of her clenching tightly his shirt in white knuckled fists and burying her face into his chest, bawling her eyes out in frustration and desperation flashed before his eyes, momentarily leaving him hollow as it was replaced with the image of her immediately after the Guardian had done this to her.

He felt a lump form in his throat….

"_She was so light…" _two weeks he had cared for her while trying to get back to the Tendo's. _"…So helpless."_

…These feelings weren't right he told himself. It was Ranma; he wasn't supposed to think of her this way. He wanted to scold himself, but there was no denying that Ranma's female form was beautiful – he had admitted as much the first moment he found out that his rival had been cursed to and ranted about the humiliation of it – had always flustered him, but it had been easier before. He knew Ranma could turn back into a guy then and that kept any attraction he felt easily at bay, binding it with anger and hate, jealousy and the desire to avenge himself.

Now things were incredible different. Those dark feelings he had were gone, and he knew Ranma would never turn back into a guy again…

…and he wasn't sure how to deal with that.

Maybe it was nothing he considered; perhaps he was just so flippant that any girl that showed him even an ounce of kindness immediately became attractive.

Ryoga glanced up at the grey sky in thought. _ "Akane… Akari…"_

…

"Ryo–"

Ryoga's body stiffened suddenly as Ranma started to speak, her words cut short as a wave of dread crashed over the both of them. A glint of steel flashed in the corner of his eyes, and a sudden malicious intent surged towards them. His dark green orbs widened in recognition, alarms blaring through his skull at the danger.

He was turning as fast he could, hand reaching out in desperation as he threw himself at her. "Ranma watch out!"

No sooner had he moved in front of her did a white hot fury exploded across his back, a searing pain that sent him crashing bodily into the young red head. A scream of agony tore from his lips as they went down in tangled heap of legs and arms, a warm sensation already spreading down his back before they even hit the ground. His mind screamed at him to get up, but his body wouldn't listen, shocked spreading through his system faster than his adrenalin could.

"Ryoga get off me!" she shouted at him.

He would have liked nothing more.

"Ryoga! Get up! Please get up! Ryoga! RYOGA!"

Ranma's panicked voice pierce the haze of his mind, but not the darkness clouding his eyes, as she screamed at him to move. Her voice was starting to grow fainter, further away the more and more she screamed at him. He sensed the enemy standing over and behind him, gloating at Ranma! – They didn't even care about him – and than Ranma's panicked struggles beneath his heavy weight.

Eventually the red head attempts to free herself lessened, and then she was still altogether.

He was rolled suddenly on to his back with a rough indifferent kick.

"_Leave him Kinnii, he's already dead," ordered a voice Ryoga swore was familiar. "We got who we came for, let's head back. We have worked to do and it's a long way back to __Aso."_

There was a reluctant dissatisfied grunt, and then the presence was gone, and he was left alone.

Alone in darkness, with only his thoughts and the agony spreading through his body.

He supposed any normal person might have felt panic at this, but he had always known he would die alone. Constantly getting lost and never knowing if he would see anyone he knew ever again made the reality of his eventual death clear. He wasn't the brightest person around, but he wasn't stupid. It wasn't the first time he had brushed shoulders with death. Memories of the battle for the Open Water Kettle nearly two years ago came rushing back to him. He had nearly died twice in that quest. First at Lime's hands, than nearly being crushed to death by a closing fissure.

Ryoga stared at the sky, his unseeing eyes wide and white, body burning with the searing agony lancing across his back and between his shoulders; the undeniable feeling of his blood starting to pool beneath him. He could hear his own laboured, ragged breathing, the disturbing gasps as air past through his dry throat and hurting lungs.

He didn't see himself coming back this time.

The teenager cursed inwardly.

He didn't want to die yet.

There was still so much he wanted – _needed! – _to do. It wasn't fair that it was all to be taken away from him now.

"_No!" _he snarled inwardly, struggling onto his stomach; he refused to let it end like this!

Adrenalin surged through his damaged body, setting his blood aflame with determination as he slammed his palms against the hard unyielding ground and started to force himself up. Crimson droplets dripped from his naked upper body, pain cutting through every inch of him. He gritted his teeth, a cold sweat beading across his tightly knitted brow as he glared through black bangs that fell across his dark green iris's; his sight – though blurry at best – starting to return. The muscles in his weakened arms strained and bulged with the effort of lifting his mass, sweat starting to pour down them too.

Without warning his wrists gave out from under him, pitching face first into the dirt with an aggravated cry.

Strength started to rapidly flood out of his limps.

His breathing became heavier and the darkness returned to his eyes, his sight flickering on and off as he used the last of strength to roll over.

He saw three figures suddenly land in the construction sight and come rushing towards him. It was only when they got within a few feet of him that he recognized Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse.

"Ryoga!"

Cologne's voice was faint to his ears, and he felt himself starting to fall into the black void that was stretching out to claim him.

He grabbed the hem of the old woman's robe and grasped it as tightly as he could.

"Ran…ma…help….Ranma," he whispered.

One by one his fingers peeled back and his hand fell limply in the dirt, his body sagging uselessly against the ground as the darkness closed in around him.

"Help her…." he whispered one last time.

And then, with one final gasp, the darkness took him…

….

…

…

…

….

Night had arrived quickly, the clouds blocking out the stars and moon, draping the forests and mountains in pitch black as the two figures tracked carefully up the winding trail, fatigued and exhausted from the long journey that had seen them here. A wide open cave mouth met them at the end of the path, lit by flaming torches on either side of the entrance and the sides of the rock walls running inside, filling it with the heavy scent of burning oil, mixing with the earthen smell that ran throughout the cave.

It was just one of many bases the Jusenkyo Preservation Society had established throughout both Japan and the rest of the world. Wherever those cursed by the waters of Jusenkyo went, so to did the Society, keeping a constant vigil to uphold the sacred Code of Conduct they strived to maintain.

The Vice Chairman couldn't be prouder of the work this branch had done, bringing them this far.

They would be greatly awarded.

"I said put me down!"

He winced at the grating screech that echoed through the tunnel.

Ranma flailed wildly across Kinnii's shoulder, wriggling like an enraged red headed worm as she struggled with her bonds.

"Hey don't you dare ignore me buddy! I swear when I get free I'm going to kick your ass all over again! You'll be begging to apologize by the time I get through you with you! HEY! Are you listening to me damn it! PUT ME DOWN! NOW!"

Without warning she sank her teeth into Kinnii's shoulder.

"OWW!" the giant swordsman reared back with howl, reaching backwards and grabbing her around her neck. "You little bitch!"

The Vice Chairman watched with annoyance as the large man held the struggling girl several feet off the ground, squeezing her neck tightly enough that her lips were starting to turn blue. With a flick of his thumb, the Vice Chairman knew Kinnii could snap the irritating martial artist's neck like a twig.

"That's enough Kinnii!" he shouted when then girl's face started to turn a violent purple. "We need her remember!"

"We've had to listen to her incessant ravings for four days already! I can't take it anymore!" the giant of a man snarled.

"Nevertheless that doesn't change the fact that we need her, now put her down!" the Vice Chairman snapped.

Kinnii sneered in frustration, but lessened – albeit reluctantly – his grip on the red head's delicate neck and flung her angrily into an open cell. The tiny martial artist coughed and hacked as dark bruises formed upon her flesh, struggling onto her knees with her wrists still bound tightly behind her back, along with her ankles too. She turned a frightful glare on the two of them. Even bound and harmless as she was, that glint of malice in her eyes was enough to send a nervous shiver through the Vice Chairman.

"You better let me go if you know what's good for yah buddy! Remember what happened the last time you two picked a fight with me!" she growled.

The Vice Chairman recomposed himself. "Please, your threats are as pointless as they are laughable."

"What do you want with me? Tell me!" she snarled.

Kinnii slammed the prison door shut and the Vice Chairman clasped his hands together behind his back as he stepped forward, frowning at the annoying child.

"You are in no position to make demands," he replied darkly. "But you'll find out soon enough, of that you can be sure of."

With that said he turned quickly and started walking away with Kinnii falling into step behind him.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you, you fat toad!" the girl shrieked. "Let me go! At least bring me something to eat and a blanket you bastard! HEY! Are you listening to me! I'm hungry damn it! I WANT FOOD!"

The Vice Chairman sighed irritably; comforted only in the knowledge of what awaited the feisty teenager.

His fat lips twisted in an ominous grin…

….

…

…

…

….

"What do you mean you don't know where Ranma is!"

Nodoka slammed her palm against the hard wood tables with distress and anger clouding her watery eyes. The usually composed and noble woman looked tired and stressed, her beautiful dark blue eyes heavy with dark rings beneath them. She stared angrily at the ancient Chinese woman perched silently on the serving counter, no longer concerned with the task of remaining calm and collected, not now.

It had only been five days since Ranma had been taken, but it felt more like an eternity for the worried mother. The worst thoughts constantly plagued her, fearing for the safety of her child. She had seen what had been done to the young man called Ryoga and she couldn't help but be frightened that Ranma would suffer the same, bringing to mind images of the young red head laying in a ditch somewhere in a pool of her own blood.

It was enough to set her to tears.

"I mean exactly what I say," Cologne replied calmly, giving the woman an even stare. "Those that have taken her have left no trace of their presence. I followed their ki as far as the limits of the district before it disappeared."

"Who are they! Who took her?" Nodoka demanded.

Cologne sighed. "I believe that it was the Jusenkyo Preservation Society. We have had dealings we these troublesome people before."

Akane stepped forward from her place with her father and Ukyo. She looked worried; as worried as Nodoka was. They had all tried looking for Ranma when they heard what happened to Ryoga. They even went as far as going to the cave where the society had taken the other Jusenkyo cursed people the last time they had come to Nerima. It had all been for nothing, except that they knew where Ranma wasn't now.

"But, I thought they only went after people that were cursed by Jusenkyo springs. Won't they just let Ranma go once they realize she can't transform anymore? It doesn't make any sense for them to keep her prisoner once they do," Akane pointed out, confused.

"No it doesn't make sense," the old woman agreed easily. "But then again, the motivations and ways of the Preservation Society have always been held in the up most secret, even from us Amazons. We know only of their so called Code of Conduct, but we know not the extent of this Code or whether or not they have other ambitions or when they exactly started to monitor the status of Jusenkyo and its victims. We know that their intelligence network is vast and its tendrils stretch to every corner of the world. We have only dealt with two members of a much larger organization."

"Their knowledge of Jusenkyo itself may be more than ours as well," Mousse added, arms folded within his oversized sleeves as he leant against a wall. "When they took us, they revealed that they believed we could control our curses by will power alone with the right training."

"Is that even possible?" Soun asked, before taking a soothing sip from his steaming cup of tea. "I remember Genma mentioning the same thing to me during out games of Shogi, but he believed that those who took him and the others were just delusio–"

Soun flinched as Nodoka shot him an angry glare at the mention of her husband's name.

"It is possible," Cologne considered thoughtfully, but without much conviction. "Remotely possible that is. I know of no one that has ever achieved this though. Unfortunately as it stands, we know very little about the true history of the springs themselves or the full nature of the transformations those that fall victim to their waters suffer."

She paused for a second to collect her thoughts properly. Jusenkyo had always been a topic of interest for her people, living so close to the cursed grounds made it only natural that they would need to know as much as they could. But there was so little to learn from, except for the experiences of the individuals that had fallen victim to the waters.

She drew back on her pipe before allowing a steady stream of smoke past her dry wrinkled lips. "Much of our knowledge of the springs has disappeared over the course of the turning centuries, and what we have managed to retain are mostly lists of Amazons that were cursed and various methods for locking someone in or out of their cursed form. What we actually know however, is very little. We call them a curse because that is what it seems like from all other angles, at first glance that is. But that is just our opinion of course. After all, who would want to be able to turn into a duck or a frog, or any other creature so small and largely defenceless? But there are other creatures as well that have drowned there that many would love to be able to turn into, such as tigers and wolves, or as we have seen in others, demons of incredible power. The term curse is relative to the individual. For example, there are some that would find Ranma's curse most agreeable, for whatever reason."

"Like Pantyhose boy, he like his curse form," Shampoo nodded, understanding her great grandmother's words.

"This is ridiculous!" Nodoka hissed suddenly in frustration. "I don't care about this accursed Jusenkyo place or this Preservation Society you keep going on about! I just want my daughter back!"

"Than have the good sense to understand that if we have any chance of finding Ranma than it is through trying to understand as much as we can about the Society!" Cologne snapped irritably, stunning those gathered around the restaurant. "Believe me that I wish to find her just as much as you do but right now there is little we can do except wait. I have sent orders to our people back in China to investigate the Society in the hopes that they can discover answers for us. Until such times that they do, we must be patient, if we are to be of any use to Ranma."

Nodoka held the old woman's hard gaze for the longest time, hand clenched and trembling. The others all held a collective nervous breath as the two stared each other down, aware that there was very little scarier than an angry mother whose child had been taken from her. They could almost feel a pang of sympathy for the members of the Preservation Society if Nodoka got to them first.

With a great heavy sigh the woman's shoulders sagged. Nodoka sat back in her chair, eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry Ms Cologne," she whispered quietly, shame colouring her cheeks. "I'm just so–"

"You don't need to explain yourself dear. I understand all too well," Cologne replied thoughtfully, countless decades of experience reflected in her ancient eyes and the numerous lines along the corners of her whites. She stared determinedly at the housewife though. "I promise you, we will find her."

Nodoka couldn't help but believe her.

….

…

…

…

….

"Wake up!"

Ranma came awake with a sputtering cry off alarm as icy cold water splashed across her, soaking her through to the skin. Her wild blue eyes widened with rage as she tried to surge forth with an enraged snarled, only to be brought to a sudden jarring halt. She looked down and saw the leather manacles binding her wrists to the unyielding metal arm rests of the chair. A quick yank of her legs revealed the same done to her ankles. She even felt something attached to her head; or rather a number of small things, she could feel the weight and pressure of them.

"What'd cha do that for!" she screeched, glaring up at the Vice Chairman and the empty bucket in one hand. She wished for a brief moment, that she could shoot death rays from her eyes. She glared at the giant of a man standing behind him, as silent and imposing as ever. "What are you looking at!"

"You've slept long enough miscreant," sneered the fat little man.

Ranma battered her eyes slyly. "And such a pity too, I was having such a nice dream about you."

The Vice Chairman faltered, unprepared for her response. "Oh?"

"Oh yes," she agreed eagerly with her most seductive tone. "Come closer so I can tell you, Mr Vice Chairman, you won't regret it. Pwetty please?"

Curiosity overrode common sense as the Vice Chairman took several steps towards her. "Well go on, te–"

Ranma snapped her head forward without warning, weathering the blinding pain that lanced through her skull as it crashed against the fat little man's. She gritted her teeth, smirking triumphantly as the Vice Chairman reared backwards with a cry, eyes wide and teetering on one leg.

"As if I would ever dream about you, you stupid jerk! If I ever did it would be about me putting my foot so far up your ass you'd choke on it! Now let me go you stupid bastar– ARRGGHHH!"

Ranma's eyes flew open, her irises and pupils shrinking into the whites of her eyes till they were nothing more than pin pricks. Screams rip from her throat, her hands clenching tightly into fists and nails cutting into the soft flesh of her palms. Her body convulsed in agony, burning and stinging, her blood feeling like it had been lit on fire and was boiling away inside her, and her brain feeling like it was about to explode.

It ended as quickly as it started, her small frame slumping into the chair. Wisps of smoke sizzled off her body, spiralling up away from her as her head hung forward, soft, yet heavy pants racking her chest as she struggled to catch her breath.

Rubbing his head the Vice Chairman glowered at her, hand clutching a small black remote with a single red button in the center. "You would do well to be mindful of your words, and to start showing your elders some respect."

With an inhuman snarl Ranma surged forward in her chair, her body nearly ripping free of the restraints that bound her, causing the Vice Chairman to stumble backwards in alarm. Blood vessels stretched for the blue rings of her angry eyes, and her lips twisting back to reveal her full set of glistening teeth.

She looked every bit like a wild animal.

"I'm going to rip your throat out you pathetic excuse of a man! You hear me! When I get loose I'm going to kill you, you stupid son of a bitch!" she roared irrationally, struggling and pulling at the manacles uselessly with tears of frustration streaming down her face and over her red cheeks.

"My, my, I see this one is going to be a hand full."

Ranma snapped her head up with a sneer, almost surprised to see a middle aged woman emerge from the shadows, wrapped in a finely made kimono. Her beautiful features were enhanced by just the right amount of make up to achieve the illusion of perfection highlighted by a pair of jade green eyes, with her hair arranged in a practical yet elegant bun, held in place with two long, well placed needles. Her skin rich and flawless and her every move conservative and calculated, she reeked of a cold nobility that set Ranma on edge.

"Ah, Lady Yukino, I'm so glad you could join us," the Vice Chairman all but bowed in the woman's presence.

"It's a pleasure Vice Chairman," she inclined her head slightly, than turned the other man. "…Kinnii."

Kinnii barely managed a grunt of interest, ignoring the woman and turning his superior with irritated eyes. "Why does she have to be the one to do this? I should be the one to handle this matter!"

Yukino gave him a patronizing smirk. "Because you don't have the delicate touch this requires." Yukino turned her attention to Ranma, who sneered stubbornly. "So this is the top priority subject I was told about? What an ugly expression for one so pretty. Don't worry dear, I'll fix that attitude of yours soon enough."

"What the hell do you want from me!" Ranma demanded, silenced with a sudden crack across the face from Yukino's hand, leaving an angry red mark in its wake. Ranma stared at her in shock. "Who the hell do you think you are!"

And received another slap…

"Such language is unbecoming of a young woman," Yukino explained calmly, then turned to the Vice Chairman. "She's going to be a stubborn one."

He nodded. "Yes, she and her friends are repeat offenders. Unfortunately we've not had the chance to deal with them until now. We thought it best to deal with her first since she seems to be the strongest of the lot, and than with the rest."

Yukino nodded in understanding.

Ranma growled at being spoken about like she wasn't even there. "Hey! I can't transform anymore you idiots! Your stupid ridiculous code of conduct crap doesn't apply to me anymore! Not that that gives you the right to kidnap innocent people and punish them for something that isn't their fault! You bastards are nothing more than criminals!"

The Vice Chairman growled. "You have no idea the danger people cursed at Jusenkyo present to the world! The evil they could cause with their curses and the crimes they could commit and get away with! NO! You miscreants have been allowed to roam free and unchecked for far too long and caused too much chaos all because you lack the self control it takes to keep your curses in check!"

Ranma tried to jump out of the chair again. "You idiot! We've been through this before! It's a curse! Get it through your thick skull that you can't control the damn things with will power alone! It's impossible!"

"So you say, but have you even ever tried?" the little man sneered. He took a second to recompose himself, taking a few deep breaths, before meeting her glaring gaze once more. "In any case we know you can't transform and we know all about your battle with the _"The Guardian"_ and the destruction of your male body. Frankly it is a fitting punishment as far as I am concerned, but your temper and stubbornness to conform to your new way of life has put others at risk and your training as a martial artist makes you dangerous to those that can't defend themselves from you. And since that body of yours is a product of Jusenkyo it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of those around you and _train_ you properly to adjust to your new life."

"How do you know about _The Guardian_?" she ignored the rest of his dribble, knowing it was simply untrue and not worth her time.

The bitterness that overcame the fat man's features was enough to light a warm satisfying fire inside her. "We know all about _The Guardian_ and the Jewel. We've been searching for it for centuries, but those charged with its safe keeping kept moving it around and whenever we got close to retrieving it from them, they resorted to violence. We tried reasoning with them! We should have been the ones to guard it and use it to mete out punishments to those that would abuse the Springs! But they ignored us! Then one day around two hundred years ago, they disappeared without a trace, despite our best efforts to find them again…"

Ranma burst into hysterical laughter in sudden understanding, startling the other three.

"You expect me to tell you where they're hiding?" Yukino frowned at the very unlady-like snort of amusement the red head made. "As much as I would love to make that bastard pay for what he did I'll do it on my own terms thank you very much! There's no way in hell I'll ever help you! I aint gonna tell you nothing!"

"Oh, not yet you won't," he replied ominously. "But, I think you'll be quiet agreeable once we get through with you."

Ranma smirked. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Her bravado faltered when the little man simply handed the remote control over to Lady Yukino.

In one terrifying instant, she understood.

….

…

…

…

….

The dojo was quiet, devoid of the liveliness it had gained in the short while Ranma had been using it for since moving back in with her mother. Nodoka stood at the open doors, longingly staring around the room as if hoping that her son turned daughter might suddenly appear, training away like nothing had ever happened. For a long time after Genma had left with their child on their training journey she had stood at Ranma crib for countless nights, wishing her child was back safely with her, but her fears and anxieties then had been soothed somewhat to know that Ranma was safe with Genma…

…relatively at least, she allowed.

This was different though; it had already been nearly two weeks and with no new news, she couldn't be sure that Ranma was ok. Her only comforting thought was that her child was as tough as they came, but she knew well that everyone had their limits, whether they be warriors or defenceless people. She couldn't help but wonder what Ranma's was.

The housewife shook her head sadly, thinking how wrong this all was. This wasn't how she had hoped to be reunited with her family after so long. No, she didn't care about her child's curse because she could see how great a person Ranma had become, both as a strong and passionate warrior and a caring friend and fiancé. She didn't even care that her husband and child had hid themselves from her out of fear of the oath they'd swore. She had just been glad to be reunited with them at last.

And now her strange, but happy family had been fractured again. First by her and Ranma's feud with Genma, and now by this.

This wasn't how it was meant to be.

Gazing once more around the cold silent hall Nodoka sighed. _"This was meant to be for both of you…"_

…Right there she made a promise with herself that once Ranma was home, safe and sound that she would find Genma and they would work this out as the family they were meant to be, because as much anger and frustration as her husband caused her, she still loved him dearly, and had longed for his return as much as Ranma's. Granted her initial excitement over her reunion with Ranma nearly a year ago had caused her to ignore Genma at first, but that didn't mean she didn't love him any less. After all…it never hurt to play a little hard to get, she thought.

"Ah, here you are Nodoka,"

The woman whipped around in alarm to find Soun standing at the end of the wooden boardwalk encircling the outside of training hall. His face was as calm and unreadable as it usually was, though she remembered a time when his features had been as telling as any young persons. As excitable as he could be – especially where his daughters were concerned – the loss of his beloved wife had changed him, left him older in many ways.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he added sincerely as she recomposed herself.

"It's perfectly fine," she smiled, which quickly melted into one of hopeful eagerness. "Has there been news about Ranma?"

Much to her disappointment, Soun shook his head. "No, I just thought you might like some company."

Nodoka sighed heavily. "You're too kind. Please, join me for some tea…"

…

It was an unusually fine day. Blue skies with only a few stray clouds drifting lazily across the azure backdrop, their forms were like clay, sculpted by the attentions of the wind, shaping and moulding them into various shapes. Nodoka glanced up from her tea at the sky, wondering why every day couldn't be as lovely as it was today.

"I apologize for earlier, I didn't mean to get your hopes up," Soun apologized suddenly.

"No, its fine, it was my own silly fault," she shook her head calmly, offering one of her trade mark gentle smiles.

"It's not silly Nodoka," he assured her, and than added with self depreciating chuckle: "I think we both know that if I were in your position I would be an utter disaster. You are a very strong woman Nodoka; certainly you're a much stronger person than I am. Never doubt yourself or deny yourself hope."

"You're too hard on yourself Soun, you've raised three lovely and healthy daughters," she told him firmly.

Soun gazed into the gardens. "I had very little to do with raising them. Kasumi has done more for our family than I ever have. Were it not for her, I fear things would have turned out very differently. She is as strong as her mother ever was."

Nodoka nodded at the last statement. "Your daughters know how much you love them, and that is the greatest gift you could ever give them Soun. I wish I had had as much time with Ranma as you have had with the girls."

"I know Ranma would have liked that as well," Soun added.

Nodoka set her cup down gently, gazing sadly at the dark liquid. "I wonder how much longer I must wait before Ms Cologne hears news of Ranma's whereabouts. I'm not sure how much longer I can stand waiting to hear something Soun. At least when Ranma and Genma were away training together I had Genma's letters to comfort me…I just want to know that she's ok…"

Soun smiled confidently. "If its one thing I can be sure of, it's that Ranma will be fine. You just need to have some faith in her. Ranma has been through many great ordeals in the past couple of years and she always comes out on top. You have to believe that this time will be no different. If its one thing you can be proud of Genma for, it's the ability to overcome all hardships that he instilled in her."

Yes, she thought;she couldn't fault the outcome of Genma's training, even if she didn't condone the way he had conducted himself, but he had certainly turned their son into an incredible and remarkable person. She didn't doubt Ranma's ability to survive and endure, she had seen first hand that lengths Ranma would go to and that she never admitted defeat even when it seemed like she should, and the determination to succeed that she could inspire in others. No, she didn't doubt Ranma's ability to survive this, far from it. Rather she was worried about what Ranma would have to endure in order to survive.

No parent, mother or father liked to imagine their child in pain.

Just as no parent liked to sit around and do nothing if their child needed them.

"How is Akane handling this?" she asked suddenly.

Soun shrugged with exaggerated sigh. "The same way she always does when she's upset. She's spent most of her time breaking bricks and damaging my poor desolate dojo. If she's not there then she's checking up on Ryoga. I think it's safe to say that the moment Cologne finds out where Ranma's being kept, Akane will be ready to charge off. I don't think she will ever admit it to anymore, but I think deep down she really did love Ranma; perhaps more than she realized herself. The two were always constantly fighting; you could see that they didn't want to be but such is the curse of young pride. It's easily injured."

Nodoka had to agree. "Yes, I've got the feeling from Akane that what's happened to Ranma has been just as hard on her. We've all been more worried about Ranma though. Maybe I should have a talk with her."

She held back a sad sigh. She would have liked to have had Akane as a daughter in-law. The young Tendo girl was as fiery as she was caring and loving, perhaps a little naïve and too short tempered, but a lovely girl nevertheless.

"I think she would like that," Soun nodded.

….

…

…

…

….

Akane flipped idly through the pages of a magazine as she sat silently by the window, next to Ryoga's bedside in the hospital. The steady pulse of the heart monitor on the other side had drifted into the back of her mind as she tried to distract herself from the thoughts and worries that had so plagued her of late. Every so often she would spare a glance at Ryoga, but she didn't allow her eyes to linger for more then a few seconds. It chilled her to see him in such a state; Ryoga, the Eternal Lost Boy whose strength and endurance was monstrous, laid out on a hospital bed, unconscious for over a week.

He had been so pale when she had first come to see him, but steadily the colour had began to return to his face, a sure sign that he was regaining his strength and even she – untrained as she was in it – could feel the massive amounts of ki energy that encircled and played about the boy, lending him greater strength as he healed from the serious wound inflicted upon him. At this rate, his wound would be completely healed within days…

Was his body acting on instinct though, she wondered?

Or was he aware enough, somewhere within his own mind of what he was doing?

She wish she knew more about manipulating ki the way Ranma and Ryoga did, or even the way Mousse did. She wished she understood it better so that she could help him at least; then she wouldn't feel so useless sitting around doing nothing. Maybe if she had been a better martial artist, better capable of using such powerful techniques like Ranma and Ryoga, she could have been there with them when they fought _the Guardian._

No, she thought bitterly, she would have just been a burden on the two of them. A distraction to them and easy target to the Guardian as well. They'd have spent more time defending her than they would have trying to get the jewel. Their decision to leave her behind was the right one.

"_Why don't I?" _she wondered silently to herself.

It wasn't the first time she had asked herself such questions, and it wasn't likely to be the last; not so long as she knew Ranma or lived amongst people so deeply devoted and dedicated to the arts as they were. It wasn't that she didn't like being a martial artist, and she was a damn good one too, but – and even if she never admitted to anyone but herself – Ranma, Ryoga, Shampoo and even Ukyo and so many others were in a completely different league to her. They had no choice but to dedicate every waking moment of their lives to the art, for whatever reasons they each had.

But she…she had never had a reason…

She had never needed to dedicate her life so completely as the others had and as such had the choice of being a martial artists and normal school girl too. Yes, she was incredible and dangerously strong, but she knew her strength was trivial without the proper training to focus it.

She cursed Ranma half heartedly.

She had never had reason to doubt her own skills until the feisty red head been carried kicking and screaming into their lives.

How much trouble could have been avoided if she had been able to defend herself when she had been kidnapped by Ranma's rivals and enemies in the past, instead of being forced to wait for Ranma and the others to come rescue her? She hated being the damsel in distress, even if she had secretly – and she would never admit this either – enjoyed Ranma being her knight in shining armour; so to speak…

But she would have still preferred to have been able to deal with those people herself, rather than let others do it for her.

Perhaps Ranma would have taken her more seriously when they first met if she had been more skilled and not just frighteningly strong.

After all she was the only daughter interested in carrying on the Tendo Anything Goes School of martial arts, so she needed to improve herself if she was going to do the school justice. She couldn't see herself ever being as strong as Ranma or most of the others, but she could at least raise herself to a skill level that made her worthy of inheriting the school herself and not just playing caretaker until a new generation of – preferably male – Tendo's were born, to carry it on.

Maybe… Just maybe, she could convince Cologne to train her as she had done with Ranma and Ryoga, now that she was no longer and obstacle in the old woman's and Shampoo's way to Ranma. Cologne seemed to know exactly what Ranma and Ryoga needed to learn to become stronger respectively. Perhaps the old woman could at least put her on the right path to explore herself.

"Akane…?"

She snapped her head up and around at the sound of the weak groan, and found Ryoga staring at her through half lidded eyes. She was standing at the side of the bed in a flash, surprise and relief flooding over her in crushing waves.

"Oh Ryoga, it's so good to see you awake!" she cried, actual tears of joy beading along edge of her eye lids. "Dr Tofu said you would be fine, but you hurt so badly…"

Ryoga didn't reply straight away, instead a strained look of concentration contorted his features for a few silent seconds. Finally, as a look of understanding replaced the look of concentration he asked: "How long have I been out?"

"Two weeks," she replied. "Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse found you."

"…And Ranma?" he asked after a few seconds more.

"She was taken by the Jusenkyo Preservation Society," she felt her worried return anew admitting that out aloud.

"Those bastards!" Ryoga growled viciously, his whole body tensing with anger, only for him to shudder violent and his breathing turn heavy.

"Ryoga! Are you ok!" Akane looked about at him in alarm as he withered about in pain.

"Don't worry about me dear Akane," the bed ridden teen managed a faint smile through his drug tired eyes. "It'll be fine."

Akane was many things, but she wasn't _that _stupid. His injury was one of the worst she had ever seen anyone endure, worst even than the one inflicted upon Shinnosuke. She knew there were few people that could have survived such an attack and fortunately Ryoga was one of them, but had Cologne and the others arrived a few minutes later, he would have bled to death.

"Don't be stupid Ryoga, you nearly died!" she snapped at him, with more harshness than she had intended.

Too much had happened in the past months to her circle of friends, strange as they were. She couldn't stand to lose a friend as kind hearted as Ryoga, not so soon after losing her chance of a future with Ranma.

She looked down to realize that her hands were squeezing tightly around clumps of bed sheets, shaking and white with fear, her eyes turning watery.

"Aww, don't cry Akane, I didn't mean to upset you," Ryoga told her sincerely, slowly grasping her hand in his with a weak squeeze. "Everything will be fine. I kn–"

"I don't want things to be fine. I want things to go back to the way they were. Things were chaotic and insane, but it was so much easier," she explained softly, eye downcast.

Ryoga sighed. "No, you misunderstand what I meant Akane."

She looked at him in confusion.

His lips curled back into a confident grin. "I know where they took Ranma."

….

…

…

…

….

Darkness encircled the room, flowing around the singular light that beamed down on the center of the cold earthen smelling room. The sound of dripping water sang through the room and mingling with the sounds of clenched teeth frustration, growing despair, and the all too common screams of agony and obscenities that accompanied them. The guards that passed by in the tunnels beyond the room paused only to shudder with unease, not envying the prisoner on the other side.

Ranma fought with a storm of emotions surging through her tiny frame, her crimson tresses soaked and matted with sweat, plastered to her forehead and the cold hard table; the flat surface and lack of neck support straining her muscles and joints, driving pain between her shoulders and her delicate neck. Her chest rose and fell with the effort it took to fight the pain that coursed through her body, leaving her a trembling mess.

She was so tired and sore, covered in gauze pads hiding contact burns from the numerous electroshock sessions she'd been subjected to.

If only that had been the first and last torture they had inflicted upon her.

They had only allowed her a single full night's sleep since they had brought her here, and the two other times she'd been allowed had only been for less than an hour she was sure of it. She had already lost all sense of time, being kept in darkness most of the time since she had arrived. She wondered how long it had been since she had been taken. It felt like months to her, but she knew it had probably only been less than a week; she hoped.

She wasn't certain how much more of this she could take.

They had subjected her to a liquid that her burnt the shit out of her flesh, had made her feel like swarms of flesh eating ants were devouring her and didn't leave so much as a mark and the affects of which were cancelled with simple water, leaving only an uncomfortable tingling in its place. She had screamed herself hoarse that day; screamed until her throat was so roar and on fire that she could taste the coppery tang of blood at the back of her throat.

Lady Yukino was as relentless as a hunting wolf. She had showed no hesitation about inflicting incredible amounts of pain; in fact the red head was sure the bitch enjoyed it. But, there was no denying that the woman was a master of what she did.

Food was another thing altogether.

A glass of water for breakfast and dinner and a stale chunk of bread that had the consistency of rock and gravel that not even the water soften enough for it to be considered appetizing.

Even Akane's toxic excuse for cooking would have been a welcomed change.

Her stomach cried with hunger, pulling at her insides cruelly.

She gritted her teeth so tightly they felt as though they would shatter, as another drop of water splashed across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes quivered with tears of frustration, red and burning with tiredness, her mind swirling with dizziness as she struggled not to burst into a sobbing mess. The dripping water was only secondary to the real torture she was being subjected to, but the constant drips, splattering against the bridge of her nose in the exact same spot, over and over again was doing more to her than any of the pain they had already inflicted upon her.

In her sleep deprived, mentally and emotionally spent, physically exhausted state, the water torture was steadily driving her stress and her blood pressure to incredible heights, leaving her dizzy and her brain feeling like it was going to explode from her skull.

She wanted to cry.

_Just tell them!_

_No! They can't be allowed to get away with this!_

_It's not worth your sanity fool! Tell them the location! Maybe if they have the jewel they'll let you go!_

_NO!_

Oh, but she wanted to though! Part of her wanted to buckle and give them what they wanted so that they would just leave her alone, but the part of her that still had her pride refused to give them what they want, knowing full well what she was going to have to endure because of that stubbornness.

How could something so simple as water do so much?

But then again, that's what had started this trouble two years ago. One little slip and a surprise attack from a panda, knocking her into a spring. Her whole life since then had been about water, trying to avoid it as much as possible, but it seemed it didn't matter how hard she tried, it would always be the bane of her existence.

"Poor dear child," crooned the sadist of woman circling the table like a shark.

"You can go to hell!" she screamed, her breath racing out in one big whoosh that left her panting heavily, sweat beading down her face.

A blood curdling shriek escape her as Yukino drove another needle into another pressure point, white hot agony flaring through her limps, into her finger tips, through her eyes and into her brain, leaving her gasping for breath, her chest and lungs, and her heart feeling like as though they were going to explode.

Her entire body looked like a pin cushion.

Yukino knew the location of every single pressure point in the body that caused pain or could be manipulated to cause pain, in all its various forms. Ranma was experiencing first hand that knowledge. One pressure point had made her body feel like it was floating in napalm. One had made her body so sensitive that even a slight puff of air had been enough to set her to tears agony. Others just caused pain in its rawest form.

"You're the one that can stop this Ranma dear," Yukino told her soothingly, pausing a moment to stroke the red heads cheek. "You just need to be more cooperative. Just think, all the pain, gone. I can turn it all into pleasure beyond imagination. I can grant you the gift of a joy and contentment unlike any other, and all you have to do, is accept what is right."

Ranma laughed a harsh breathless laugh. "What is right? That's rich coming from a kidnapper and a torturer!"

Yukino gave her a dark look. "We do what we have to, to keep dangerous individuals like yourself in check. You know how powerful you are, so you tell me what might happen if in a moment of despair and depression you suddenly lost control of yourself and hurt someone? You could easily kill someone with your strength alone, but with your ki attacks, you child are a deadly dangerous force that we can no longer allow to go untrained."

"You're insane! I would never do anything like that!" Ranma wanted to bang her head against a brick wall, tired of going over the same things over and over again.

"Oh but we know you already have," Yukino lightly drew the tip of needle along the martial artists side, taking in the look of discomfort that flashed across the bright blue eyes that glared back at her. "You nearly destroyed your ex-fiancée's house."

Ranma snorted. "It'll take more than a Moko Takabisha blast to destroy that thing!"

"Then you nearly killed that boy that turns into a pig. I believe you screamed out his name in your sleep your first night here, Ryoga wasn't it? He must mean something to you for you to cry out his name. I didn't think you were _that _far along…" the woman admitted thoughtfully.

Ranma's face went bright crimson, her cheeks burning in anger and embarrassment as she recalled the nightmare she had of him being cut in two in front of her. The dream had felt so real and her own screams had woken herself up. There hadn't been anyone around at the time so she had hoped no one had heard her.

"Th…..that's not true!" Ranma faltered, even as she remembered the way she had reacted to his closeness after he had slammed her against the tree behind the school when she had attacked him days earlier. She shook her head viciously at the memory. "He's just a friend and I swear if he's dead you're all going to pay with your lives!"

"So you would kill for him, interesting," Yukino replied, utterly unperturbed by the young girl's bravado.

Ranma's eyes widened in disbelief at what the other woman was implying. "Stop that! You're making something out of nothing!"

Yukino gave her a long look. "Am I? That's not the impression I got from our surveillance of you. From what we know, this young man has saved your life a number of times. From Kinnii's attack. From the Guardian. From that Saffron monster and Lord Herb. Yes, we're always watching Ranma, we know more than you could imagine. We even know that you have regularly used your girl form to tease the poor boy. You seemed quiet persistent about it and all the disguises you concocted too, not very elaborate or creative by any means, but effective enough to fool him."

If it was at all possible, Ranma's face turned an even brighter red. "There were reasons for that each and every time!"

"I'm sure there were," Yukino patted her knee patronizingly. "But, it isn't as if you were hit with a magic koi rod those times as well, was it?"

"That was his fault damn it! Not mine! Ranma wailed, trying desperately to figure out where the bitch was going with all this.

It was insane, and sick. The implications alone made her want to throw up. It was Ryoga for crying out loud!

"And what about when you struck your ex-fiancée?" Yukino demanded suddenly, her eyes blazing with anger. "I knew you were many things Ranma Saotome, but I didn't peg your for a woman beater as well!"

Ranma sprung up, trying to break the bonds as she roared angrily. "That was an accident! I wasn't trying to hit her! I was aiming for my dead beat father! She'd tried to stop me and got hit by mistake! I would never willingly or knowingly hurt Akane! You bastards can go to hell!"

"And that reaction!" Yukino hissed. "Is the reason you're here now!"

Ranma felt the corners of her mouth twitch, sneering as the woman began to circle her again.

She knew that the Preservation Society was devoted in their whacky beliefs but she never expected that they would stoop to these levels so readily to accomplish what they wanted. She thought that with all their self righteousness about maintaining order and their so called code of conduct that they would have easily reached their limits by now. She didn't think they were capable of inflicting this level torture upon people.

She was almost afraid to find out what else they were willing to do.

"I am only trying to help you accept your new life," Yukino replied in such a sincere manner that Ranma realized sickeningly that the woman believed the crap she was saying. "You're the one that is causing your pain. You're the one in control here, all you have to do is let go of that pointless male ego you're still clinging so desperately to."

"I aint fallin for your stupid mind games lady! You're just tryin to confuse me you damn hag!"

Ranma wanted so badly to spit in the woman's face, but she couldn't even muster the strength for that and even if she could, she wasn't sure she had the courage to face this woman's wrath.

Rolling waves of nauseating pain crashed through her as Yukino jabbed a needle into the sole of her foot. She felt her stomach trying to force whatever contents it still held up into her throat, trying to dispel it from her body. It took every ounce of will power she had not to scream and vomit all over herself, fighting the burning sensation that spread through her gut.

"Young girls shouldn't speak like gutter trash," Yukino hissed ominously, another needle already in waiting between her fingers.

"I'm not a girl! I'm a guy!" Ranma snarled dangerously.

Another needle went in to join the countless others.

When her screams faded once more, Yukino asked: "What are you?"

Ranma growled. "I'm a guy!"

"Wrong!"

On and on it went, wave after wave of mind numbing agonies that threatened to crush her mind into oblivion. The same question over and over again and each time she gave the sadist the exact same answer. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking. Not for them. No she was going to hold on to every last shred of dignity she had and she was going endure this. She had endured rigorous training for over fourteen years to become the best martial artist there was; she had suffered countless humiliations and pain to become the best.

Yukino sneered at her stubbornness, starting to circle once more as she set herself in deep thought, her piercing eyes never once leaving Ranma's.

Suddenly she stopped, and grinned, sending a shiver down Ranma's back.

Yukino moved behind her head, and Ranma heard the grating sound of a chair dragging along the ground till it was right next to the table end. She felt Yukino right next to her, and the woman's lips were close enough to her ear that she could feel the Yukino's hot breath spreading across her skin. She winced at the sudden sting behind her ear as a needle pierced the skin, but much to her surprise, there was no paint.

_What is she doing…?_

"Your friends and your family, they'll never accept a freak like you," Yukino whispered maliciously. "Not for long at least that is. They want you now, but what about in a few months time when they're sick of you? Hmm? That shouldn't take long should it, not with all your complaining. Your male friends will only see a cute young woman, an object for their lust and your female friends, your ex-fiancée's – yes I know all about them – they'll secretly laugh behind your back and shun your existence. After all, why would they want you around them?"

Every single word Yukino utter was like a knife to heart. Ranma felt her body begin to tremble, her heart racing and tightening as her guts rearranged themselves into terrible knots of anxiety. Images flitted through her mind of Akane, and Ukyo and Shampoo all giggling about her when they thought she couldn't hear them. Images of the guys she knew all drooling after her mixed easily with the others. She swallowed the lump expanding in her throat, trying to block out the droplets of water still splashing against between her eyes.

She didn't want her friends laughing at her behind her back…

_No! _

_Fight it!_

_She's using some weird Shiatsu attack on you dummy!_

Maybe that's why they hadn't come for her. Maybe they had no intention of rescuing her. Perhaps they were just glad she was finally gone and they no longer had to worry about her. After all, why would her friends want to rescue her? All she had done lately was complain about what she couldn't change.

And if Ryoga was dead because of her…

_No! _

_Ryoga is alive!_

Wasn't he?

"I feel sorry for your family the most. Your mother and father must be so disappointed in you," Yukino continued, twisting the needle inserted behind her ear, causing her heart to lurch at the thought her parents. "Because of you, your father lost a son, his heir, and your mother being forced to contend with a daughter that isn't really a girl, that doesn't want to be a girl. Poor woman. I bet your mother would have liked nothing more than a real daughter, one she could teach her secrets to, one she could be proud of. You'll never have that relationship with her because you selfishly cling to your useless male self that you no longer need."

An image of her mother shot into her mind joining the others, her mother's face streaked with tears, unable to look her in the eye and her father trying to comfort her mother while shouting in anger and disappointment at herself for being stupid enough to get herself trapped. Her blood felt cold, like her entire world was being ripped from beneath her unsteady feet. She felt tears of despair tumbling from the corners of her eyes.

_Fight it!_

_It's not real! You know it's not real!_

_If mom was disappointed she would have made you commit Seppuku the second she found out the truth!_

_Yukino's playing with your mind!_

Relentlessly, Yukino continued the barrage of mental torture. "You should be ashamed of yourself for dishonoring your family name! Especially when you could so easily change it all, but you don't care about anyone but yourself though do you! You would rather make other people suffer and feel uncomfortable. Do you like being a freak? Do you like people looking at you strangely because you act like a boy? All those eyes pressing in on you from every direction, scrutinizing your every move and word, snickering about you behind you back! That's your future, little Ranma Saotome. Not a man and not a woman, just a pathetic creature pretending to be something she's not anymore, something she'll never be again."

Ranma trembled violently as the words lanced through her. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her not to listen to this witch, but her mind ignored them all, entangled in the emotions that raged about her like a violent storm. Images flying about her mind, lending strength to the growing anxieties building within her.

Suddenly the woman moved, shifting around to the other side of her head and once more she winced at the sensation of another needle being driven in behind her ear, leaving her dizzy and disorientated for a second.

"I can make it so you don't have to suffer that," Yukino all but purred soothingly, temptingly. "I can help you change. I can help you adjust, and you don't have to do anything but trust me. Let me help you Saotome. Let me help you make your parents proud of their daughter. You'd like that wouldn't you? You'd like to make them happy wouldn't you?"

"_I don't really care about pops, but mom deserves to be happy,"_ she considered seriously.

_No!_

"You want to make everyone happy don't you? You don't want them worry about you, do you?"

"_Of course not!"_

"I can take away _all_ the pain. I can take away all your doubts and fears. I can take away all that's holding you back from being all that you can be. You're incomplete at the moment. Two sides of the same coin fighting for dominance and control. I can take it all away my dear."

"_All of it…?"_

…

"…_That would be nice…"_

Without warning the pressure behind her ears disappeared. Ranma blinked a couple of times, eyes quivering and her brow knotted with confusion. She looked up and saw Yukino beside her, arms crossed and a neutral expression plastering her face.

Something had just happened, she was sure of it.

But her mind was blank, and a mild burning sensation touched her ears, and strange emotions racing through her heart and mind, engraving themselves into her soul. Some left her anxious and close to tears, others left her hopeful and determined. She couldn't make sense of them, they had come out of nowhere.

"What did you just do!" she demanded.

"First," Yukino started, letting a hand stroke the young woman's red locks slightly, her voice a soothing whisper. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

Ranma wanted to howl in frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you! I am a girl damnit!"

…

_NO!_

Her eyes flew open with realization; her blue iris's sinking into her whites as the color drained from her face, her body trembling in disbelief at herself, panic rushing through.

What had she just done!

What had that witch done to her!

She wasn't a girl! She was a guy! Why the hell did she say she wasn't!

She stared at the woman in horror, fear snatching at her heart, squeezing it horribly as the woman's lips twisted into a triumphant smile.

The urge to vomit was back, more powerful than ever.

"Very good. You're finally starting to realize the truth," Yukino replied happily, patting her head with disturbing gentleness, before producing another needle, that protruded threateningly between two of the woman's fingers. Ranma couldn't take her eyes off it. "I will admit though, that answer was partly my doing."

"You did something to my mind!" Ranma realized, terrified that the woman could do something like that.

Yukino smiled. "I can open a mind up to suggestions and ideas, and get it to start down a specific line of thinking. But I can't implant thoughts that aren't already there. Your answer, was your own. Somewhere in there you must have already realized the truth. Part of you must want this."

Ranma shook her head frantically. "No! No! No! That's impossible!"

"Shhhh, it's ok," Yukino replied, before moving the new needle to Ranma's forehead. "Perhaps this will help you become more receptive."

Ranma's eyes widened in fear, as the needle was positioned. "No, don't! !"

Pleasure unlike anything Ranma had ever felt erupted through her like an exploding volcano. Her back arched off the table, her eyes barely pin pricks within the whites as she screamed at the sensations rolling through her. Warmth stretched from heart and the pit of her stomach, reaching into her limbs and her minds, banishing the pain that clawed at her muscles and joints and the very fabric of her own sanity. Tears of pure, white hot euphoric bliss streamed uncontrollably down her face as she was raised above everything else.

For the space a few seconds, she forgot about everything. She forgot about her friends and family. Forgot that she was a guy trapped in a girl's body. Forgot that she was being tortured by a bunch of sadistic freaks. There was nothing else to concern her except the pleasure washing away the agony she'd be subjected to. She couldn't see, couldn't hear or think, taste or smell. There was nothing but white all around her and the incredible untainted warmth that continued to grow and spread around her, wrapping her in waves of joy.

Nothing but pure, incorruptible happiness…

…The needle was yanked from her forehead and she slumped heavily back to the table, eyes wide and unseeing, chest heaving for breath to fill her lungs. Yukino watched with amusement as the girl twitched sporadically with the content grin of someone that had just been given their every heart fulfilling wish and desire crossing her face.

Minutes passed by with only the sound of Ranma's heavy breathing to fill the room, the dripping water momentarily stopped. Slowly consciousness returned to the young woman's body, blue eyes blinking in confusion and disappointment as she tried to make sense of what had just happened, her mind slow to start and the warmth in her flesh distracting.

"It's called the _Heaven's Bliss _point." Yukino bent close to her ear again and said: "I told you I could make all the pain go away."

And just as quickly, Ranma's face melted into horror as she realized the terrifying truth of the reward Yukino had just given her. The warmth and joy, the euphoric bliss that had encompassed her body and raised her up so high, taking away her breath, acted like an addictive drug! She felt as if all the days of torture had never happened. She could still remember all the pain, but everything else was as good as ever. She felt revitalized. If one use of that pressure point was powerful enough to do that, they could make her endure torture, over and over again as many times as they liked. And, each time she Yukino used that pressure point, it would leave her wanting more, like a drug addict looking for his next fix.

Already she felt her body, her mind and heart wanting more, and there was only one way she could get it.

Staring at Yukino, trembling with fear she knew exactly what the woman was planning.

"That's right my dear," Yukino smirked arrogantly, running a gentle finger along the red head's jaw line, sending goose bumps across the sensitive skin. "Soon child, very soon you'll beg me for my help. The real _training, _has only just begun…"

Ranma was suddenly faced with the cold hard truth…

…she wasn't going to win this fight…

….

…

…

…

….

The room was tense with silence as Ryoga supported himself against the wall, wincing with every move that send jagged daggers of pain shooting through his back. He stared around at all of them. Akane and Ukyo, Shampoo and Mousse, Mrs. Saotome and Cologne, all gathered around the Nekohanten. Ranma's mother's eyes were fresh with joyous tears, finally knowing for sure where her child was. How many sleepless nights, he wondered, had she had these past two weeks, lying awake worrying and thinking the worst?

It had taken a lot of arguing with the doctors to let him, and in the end he didn't give them a choice. With Akane's help he had left the hospital, and they had gone straight to the Nekohanten, and so the call had gone out to those concerned. He weathered the scolding he received from Cologne about pushing himself, and ignored it just as quickly. He wasn't going to sit back and let them go off without him to rescue Ranma.

He had to be in this fight, there was no other way about it.

And it would be soon, now that they knew where to go; and, if they got there and found that Ranma had been moved somewhere else, they weren't going to stop looking. At the very least, it would be a starting point for them.

Now he looked at them all calmly.

"I'm going to Mt. Aso, one way or another," He said finally, his face set in a serious expression. "I'm not asking any of you to go with me, but Ranma would go out of her way to help a complete stranger if they were in need, so it goes without saying that she would do this for any of us. Hell, she has."

Mousse snorted lightly. "With your sense of direction it would take you months to get there, if not years. I too shall go."

"You both stupid…" added the blue haired Chinese girl. "…You'll need Shampoo too."

Ryoga couldn't help but smirk.

"Naturally I'm going," Ukyo nodded. "After all, Ran-chan will undoubtedly be hungry when we save her."

"I'm going too. Ranma risked her life too many times for my sake, I owe it to her," Akane announced determinedly, a frightening fire raging within her dark brown orbs, a single fist clenched tight enough to turn her knuckles white, that left nervous, worried looks on all present.

"I shall go as well," Cologne added softly, before a dark cold glint crept into her weathered old features. "I wish to have a word with the Society about their actions…"

That barely contained threat of violence sent a disturbing shiver of fear down Ryoga's aching spine, and he reminded himself – not for the first time either – that he never wanted to piss this woman off.

"I'm so glad to know Ranma has such wonderful friends," Mrs. Saotome said with tears in her eyes as she stood up. "Thank you all so much. When do we leave?"

Ryoga couldn't help but flinch in surprise.

"You're coming too Auntie?" Akane asked first. "Are you sure? It might be dangerous when we get there."

Nodoka frowned. "Of course I'm going. I'm not going to just sit back and wait. I've spent the last two weeks doing that and now I'm going to go and get my Ranma back from these terrible people."

Of course she would want to go, Ryoga thought, what parent wouldn't? He doubted any of them could have done anything short of tying her up and leaving her behind to stop her from coming with them. It wouldn't be a hassle to have her with them though, not if Cologne was coming to. The old crone was probably capable of taking down the entire Society all by herself if she wanted to, but she had the good grace to stand aside and let them young one's work out their frustration on the bastards first.

"Ok," Cologne said with a firm tap of her staff against the floor, focusing their attention on her. "We will meet here and leave first thing in the morning. We'll take tonight to prepare for the journey and fight ahead of us. Rest well…"

With a final determined nod, everyone started to filter out of the restaurant at different speeds of urgency.

Ryoga was the last to start for the door.

"Where are you going Ryoga?" the old woman asked calmly.

He blinked hesitantly. "I was gonna go find my pack."

"There is no need child, I had Shampoo bring your stuff here after we found you, and besides, if you left here now can you guarantee you'd make it back here in the morning? No, I didn't think so, and with your back the way it is the last thing you want to be doing it wondering around Nerima all night," she was as blunt as a weathered sword. "You will stay here tonight."

Ryoga was certain that she wasn't giving him a choice in the matter, so he just nodded. "Thank you."

Cologne turned and motioned for him to follow.

"Now boy, let us see what we can do about that back of yours…"

….

…

…

…

….

And so, across Nerima the seven of them began to prepare for the long journey that was ahead of them.

Akane could barely contain herself as she return home as fast as her legs would carry her, pausing only long enough to tell her father and Kasumi what was happening and where she was going before she practically dived head long into her cupboard and started to pack her travel bag.

Under normal circumstances, her father might have stopped her, but he knew too well that it would have been pointless to even try.

It would have been like trying to stop a force of nature.

Instead he was faced with a moment every parent was eventually faced with in their lives when their child reached a certain age and they knew without a doubt that they had to trust them to be ok, no matter what happened.

As for Kasumi?

She simply helped Akane pack, without saying a word.

….

…

…

…

….

Ukyo was as fast as Akane getting back home, but unlike the youngest Tendo, she returned to find her travel bag already packed and sitting alongside Konatsu's in the living room, with the male kunoichi having already prepared dinner and waiting for her with a smile on his effeminate face.

She stared in confusion, taken aback.

"Ranma helped me get away from my evil step family as well. What kind of person would I be if I did not repay my debt?" he explained, then looked away shyly, a slight blush touching his cheeks. "Besides… I would not want something to happen to you…"

Ukyo stared for a few seconds in silence, surprisingly touched by the ninja's words, before letting a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Thank you Konatsu."

….

…

…

…

….

Shampoo rarely felt the need to travel with more than her weapons and the clothes on her back and she knew Mousse would happily be her pack mule if she needed him to be, so instead went through her routines, loosening muscles and joints that had not been used for many months. Her mace like Chui's cut through the air as her little frame twirled and twisted with the grace of a cat and the ferocity of a tiger.

Even still, her thoughts turned to Ranma – battling with the lingering emotions she still felt for the martial artist – and hoped she was alright, unable to shake the sense of unease she felt.

Mousse meanwhile was packed in no time at all and now had his ridiculously extensive arsenal of weapons spread out on the floor around him doing an inventory check and last minute cleaning, all the while preparing himself for the battle ahead, eager – as Shampoo was too – to finally get the chance to pay the Preservation Society back for the humiliation they'd suffered in their first encounter.

Cologne was busy rubbing a foul smelling poultice into Ryoga's back that had the young man gritting his teeth and grunting against the inferno he thought was blazing across his wound. He would have the scar for the rest of his life, a reminded of his brush with death. But it wasn't the newest scar that caught Cologne's interest, but rather the numerous smaller ones that's covered the hole of his back, some worst then others. She got the same sense from each of them though.

They were recent…

"Do not over exert yourself between now and when we reach Mt. Aso and you should be in top fighting condition by the time we get there," she told him seriously.

"Good," he nodded stiffly. "I've got a score I wanna settle with the bastard that did this to me."

Once more she was impressed with his fighting spirit and his sheer determination to endure every hardship. He and Ranma were more alike than they would ever admit the old woman thought with an amused grin.

When she was done, she pressed the narrow end of her staff to a spot on Ryoga's neck, and in the blink of an eye the teenager collapsed on to the rolled out mattress, and started to snore.

"For your own good," she told him.

And then hopped away…

….

…

…

…

….

As night spilt across Nerima, her own small pack filled to capacity Nodoka Saotome knelt in front of the family honor sword on its place on the family shrine and lit the ends of a number of incense sticks. She breathed in the perfume scents as she closed her eyes as she placed her palms against one another, sending a prayer to the Kami of her ancestors. As she had every day after Genma and Ranma had left on their training journey.

"_Protect us on this journey, and watch over Ranma,"_ she sighed inwardly.

When her dark blue eyes flashed open, they were set with the cold steel hard glint of an angry mother.

The most terrifying force in the universe…

…

…


	9. Chapter 9: The Delicate Touch Pt 2

**A/N **

**Well here it is, the next part.**

**I'm gonna start work on the last part of this "chapter arc" probably tomorrow….maybe even tonight depending on how I feel.**

**First I want to thank Materia Blade for the story "Her War" because it did inspire me to go beyond what I was originally going to do with the torture/interrogation – which would have been very mild and very very boring – I just wanted to mention that because a number of people have mentioned that it reminded them of that story. I should have addressed this at the beginning of the last chapter but I didn't want to give anything away about what laid installed for Ranma.**

**For those that were annoyed that Ryoga was so easily pushed aside, that's my fault for not detailing it better, but pig boy will get his time to shine…..very soon….**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 9

_The Delicate Touch Pt 2_

_It is Always Darkest Before the Dawn_

The sharp cave walls were saturated with the cold, the heat of the flaming torches outside the cell failed to reach more than a few inches. Darkness pressed around the licking flames, the occasional crackling pops piercing the dead silence as moisture dripped from the cave ceiling into the fires. Every so often a skittering broke the silence, the sound of rats and other creatures searching for whatever scraps they could find before retreating once more into the safety of their homes.

With her hair unbound and matted with dry sweat into straggly unwashed tendrils, Ranma huddled in the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest, her body shaking from the cold that riddled her flesh with goose bumps, the torn rag of a blanket she'd been given did little to protect her from the elements. Her eyes, that were heavy with exhaustion refused to close for more than a few seconds at a time were bloodshot and weary from tears she didn't think would stop. Her sides ached and her lungs protested against every breath, like they might explode if she took too much in.

She almost wished they would…

At least she could at last escape this nightmare.

She had never given up before in her life. She had never wanted to give up, if not to spare herself the ridicule her father would have given her, then for her own satisfaction of knowing that she could beat anything that was thrown at her. She had never been faced with something she couldn't overcome and if she didn't straight away then she found away, because that's who she was.

Now it was all she could do stop herself from begging for mercy.

She glanced at the prison cells. It would only take a single well placed strike to send the bars flying from their housing and gain the freedom she so desperately desired. It would have been so easy, if Yukino hadn't stole most of her strength away with her damn acupuncture techniques before throwing her back in here. She was left with just enough strength to walk around the cell.

Not that it made much difference.

Someone was probably watching, just waiting for her to try and escape so they could stop her and beat her senseless as punishment. No doubt there was someone waiting to wake her up the moment she fell asleep.

There was no chance of that though.

Yukino's damn torture sessions had her adrenalin pumping so high that she wouldn't be able to sleep until the witch was ready to start again. That's how the evil woman liked it. She liked to start the torture sessions when she knew Ranma would be at her most vulnerable.

Her gaze shifted to one of her hands as it started to shake violently, sending vibrations through her bones and the rest of her body. Oh how she wished it was just from the cold, but she knew better than to hope for that… She knew the truth…

She had to bite down on her lower lip to keep it from quivering with frustration and a pain that went beyond the normal realms of physical pain; it was one heightened by a craving she could not control. She didn't realize how hard she had bit her lip till a trickle of blood slid down her tongue.

Yukino's damn _Heavens Bliss_ point…

How many times had she already been subjected to that damn thing?

Twenty...?

Thirty...?

She didn't know anymore... Nothing made sense anymore... Her brain told her to stay strong, but her body pleaded desperately for her to just give up and accept it. After all it would be much easier than putting herself through all this.

It was a constant battle that was eating away at her.

And she didn't know how much more of it she could take…

The only thing that gave her the strength to continue resisting, no matter what was knowing that it didn't matter if she gave them the location of the Jewel, they were going to keep doing this to her regardless…

… She felt fresh tears of despair slide down her cheeks, leaving warm streaks across her flesh before she scrubbed furiously at her eyes, trying to muster what pathetic scrap of strength and courage she had left, trying to swallow her fear as best she could. But she knew it wouldn't last. It was like she was losing control of her own body, and no matter what she did, a little bit more of it kept slipping through her fingers…

How had it come to this? How had she fallen so far so quickly that she could be captured by a group as pathetic as the Jusenkyo Preservation Society? It was so humiliating that it was almost laughable, but to be reduced to the state that she was in now was downright pathetic. It was as if all her years of training…..all her years of hard word…..all the time she had invested…

…what was the point….if this could happen?

"Damn it!" she hissed into the darkness. "I'm starting to act like that again! Damn these bastards for doing this to me!"

…No, she definitely couldn't take much more of this…

…With little care and barely noticing the dozens of tiny scratches the sharp rocks caused, she pitched sideways along the wall and onto her side with a heavy thud. She let her fingers trace the paths of tiny fissures in the ground, ignoring the uncomfortable angle of her neck or the pain it sent through her shoulders. This was a pain she could deal with, it was nothing. In fact she doubted she would ever feel pain the same way ever again after everything Yukino had put her through.

What would be left when it was all over, she wondered?

Not much, she thought...

…

There was something else more pressing though, something else that gnawed at her mind casting heavy webs of doubt through her.

Why had no one come for her yet?

Didn't they care…..?

Was Yukino right…?

…How many times had she put aside her differences with Ryoga and Mousse to help them when they needed it, and usually at the expense of herself? Where was Akane or Ukyo, or even Shampoo all of whom she'd helped as well? She couldn't help but taste bitterness in her own thoughts as she thought of them, probably safe and warm, well rested and their stomaches full.

She shook her head as best she could in the awkward position. No, she couldn't think like that. Her friends probably didn't even know where she was, they were probably still looking.

They wouldn't abandon her…

…Would they?

She swallowed back the hard lump of fear in the back of her throat, scolding herself fiercely for even thinking something stupid.

Of course they were coming for her.

At least she knew her mother wouldn't, or Akane or Ukyo, or maybe even Shampoo. She wasn't too confident about pinning her hopes on Mousse or Ryoga – _if he was still alive, _she thought – coming to rescue her. As far as those two were concerned, it was the blind leading the blind.

The torches outside the cell flickered wildly as razor cold wind barrelled through the tunnels, howling like the lost souls of the damned and whistling eerily through narrow gaps in the rock. The fire like battled viciously with the wind, flickering to the point of being extinguished; till only a blue flame bent backwards against the relentless force.

And then the wind passed and the fire returned, blazing proudly as shadows danced around it an ancient rhythm unchanged since the dawn of time…

As she watched the battle of two forces of nature, something primal stirred within the young red head. She'd watched it disinterestedly at first, eyes devoid of any real emotion; but, as she watched the seemingly unimportant spectacle she felt her heart lurch strangely in her chest, and for a moment she thought it may have even stopped…as recognition crept in her orbs.

A slow smile forced the corners of her mouth up and away from the thin line of defeat they'd been set in, her jaw seeming to ache at even that simple act.

Her eyes closed.

Her lungs filled with a deep breath of air.

Then, her fist closed shut and her eyes flew open; and, like the fire battered by the wind, when her eyes opened the rekindled flames of determination burnt brightly through her azure jewels.

_They haven't won yet,_ she thought…

…

Oh no, this was far from over…

…..

…

_..._

_..._

_Days Later_

_..._

_..._

The afternoon sun rose high in the sky, light playing through the clouds that strayed across the sky, sending shadows floating along the earth; as though they were living creatures let loose to play amongst the other creations of Mother Nature. Ryoga watched them instead of the clouds above from the cluster of rocks along the crest of the hill, leaning against his umbrella in muted silence even as his mind drifted elsewhere.

They had travelled most of the way by train, and then by boat to get to Kyushu. The rest of the journey was to be on foot though. Ryoga would have preferred to have transport to Aso as well, but it was good enough that they had shaved off so much travel time already…

…A wince pulled at his features as a twitch tugged the raw scar crossing his back. Grimacing he leant his weight on the umbrella even more while reaching over his shoulder where the scar started. He tried to ignore the stirrings of guilt in his stomach, knowing that it was because of him that they weren't moving as fast as they could. It wasn't his choice, he still thought he could move as fast as the others, but Cologne insisted on the slower than normal pace so as not to aggravate his injury, though he suspected that it was as much for Mrs Saotome's benefits as his.

He wasn't going to argue though, not while Cologne had the poultice in her possession. It burned like the fires of hell when she rubbed it into his skin, but when he awoke the next day he could feel more and more of his strength return. At this rate he really would be ready to fight when they reached Aso.

Soon, he thought.

It would only be a few more days before they reached the Society's hideout.

A screech above caught his attention, turning his gaze to the sky. It took him a couple of seconds, but he soon spotted a hawk circling above. He watched it for a few seconds more before it suddenly banked away and flew off towards the mountains in the distance…

He had journeyed far and wide already. He sometimes forgot how young he truly was, with his head so full of images of other places throughout Japan and overseas. He would never know how many places he had been to, but he knew it was more than the average person ever got the chance to see. Even if it was a by-product of his accursed sense of direction, he couldn't say he hadn't seen some beautiful sights.

"And I say you're stupid if you think that's going to work!"

"Who you call stupid! You is stupid one! Our plan is better one!"

Ryoga sighed in exasperation; of course there was also the peace and quiet his curse brought with it to be thankful for.

He glanced over his shoulder and down the hill at Ukyo and Shampoo with a flat glare, wondering how long they were going to argue about the same damn thing for. How long had they been arguing for already? He'd lost count of the passing hours; and, it hadn't just been today either. The two of them had been arguing on and off about it since they had left Nerima a week ago!

Neither Cologne nor Nodoka had said anything, but even Ryoga wasn't so stupid as to miss the small twitches of weariness that crept into Mrs Saotome's eyes, or the growing irritation that seemed to grow around the old woman. Mousse and Konatsu were wise enough to keep their opinions to themselves, but Akane on the other hand hadn't lasted long once the other two had started fighting and in her irritation had argued with both of them until she gave up in exasperation and refused to so much as even look at them now.

At this rate their little rescue team was going to destroy itself before they even got the chance to save Ranma.

Ryoga doubted their endless bickering even had anything to do with what they were actually arguing about. They were anxious. They all were. They all felt the unease that only grew with each passing step as they steadily made their way just that little bit further to Aso. It wasn't uncommon to feel anxious when there was a fight ahead of you, and everyone dealt with it differently, but this certainly wasn't helping.

Ukyo reared up like she was ready to fight. "If we go with your plan than they might do something to Ranma before we can get to her! Your stupid plan puts her in danger!"

Fire blazing in her cold wide eyes, Shampoo growled. "Sneaking in never work! It always fail! If we attack head on, we take by surprise before they do anything! You is stupid girl!

"Stupid!" Ukyo bristled. "I'm not the one who can't speak whole sentences!"

"What?" Shampoo puffed herself up like angry cat, her eye blazing even more as her hands went to the shafts of her Chui's. "You insult Amazon womens!"

"No, just you!" the Okonomiyaki chef growled.

"Enough," it was only slightly louder than a soft whisper, but the power of that single command silenced the two girls in an instant, and it carried far enough for Ryoga to easily hear. Cologne turned her ancient gaze on the two girls, pinning them in place with her piercing glare. "I had hoped the two of you would come to a compromise, but that was too much to hope for apparently, and my patience is starting to wear thin."

"But great grandmother –!"

Thunder seemed to crack across the area as Cologne cut Shampoo off with a crack of her staff against the ground, leaving an uneasy silence in its wake, as the two girls attempted to shrink into themselves as much as they could. Ryoga gulped as he watched from a far, the threatening ki that pulsed conservatively around the old woman was enough to turn even the bravest of warriors to jelly. She was something else all together.

"You both have valid arguments," the old woman told them softly, but firmly as she looked back and forth between them. Finally her eyes rested on Shampoo. "But Ukyo's point is correct great granddaughter. Unlike when they took you and Mousse, their actions this time in taking Ranma was much more violent and we will not risk her safety in this mission just because you have a score to settle with them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Thank you," Ukyo bowed respectfully.

"Now both of you cease this pointless bickering and save your energy for the fight ahead," the old woman growled firmly.

They all watched as she moved off some distance from the camp, leaving them all in silence as Ukyo and Shampoo looking awkwardly at one another, before crossing their arms and looking away in a huff.

"Oh my…Ms Cologne certainly is a wise woman," Nodoka said, cheerily oblivious.

….

…

…

…

….

The symphony of the night played throughout the forest, a chorus of harmonizing insect clicks and chirps. Ryoga sat before the roaring fire, staring into the flames as the small logs cracked and popped. He poked agitatedly at the logs with a long stick, careful not to let it catch on fire as well. The others had already gone to sleep, but he couldn't, as tired as his body was, his mind just wasn't.

He hadn't slept well at all since he had gotten out of the hospital, save for the night before they had set out on this journey and even then that had only been because of Cologne. His head felt too full of too many things. He couldn't even concentrate on anyone thing. His thoughts kept skipping around, jumping out of his grasp and leaving him feeling like he was running circles around himself.

Then again that was pretty normal for him, he thought with a sigh.

He hummed softly to himself – not really noticing at first – as he continued to stir at the embers around the base of the fire, savoring the warmth from the fire and remembering why he hated traveling during winter. Not that he usually had a choice about that. If he got lost he got lost and he just had to do what he always did. Manage and endure.

He went from humming to muttering lyrics under his breath and then back to humming again. He couldn't help but grumble; He'd had the stupid song stuck in his head for days ever since hearing it on a radio somewhere….

"That's an interesting song..."

Ryoga nearly jumped out of his skin as Nodoka suddenly sat down at the other end of the log, the stick nearly flying from his hand into the fire.

"Mrs. Saotome, I thought everyone was asleep," he gulped embarrassedly at his reaction, inwardly scolding himself for not sensing her.

She nodded. "I was, but I'm afraid Akane snores something terrible."

_And fights in her sleep_, he almost said but thought better of it.

"Are you alright? Your back isn't hurting you is it?" she asked, true concern reflected in her eyes. For a brief moment he was reminded of his own mother, making him feel a little homesick. "You haven't said much at all since we left Nerima. You seem distracted."

He shrugged. "I'm alright, I just can't sleep. I keep thinking about different things."

Nodoka nodded ever so slightly. "When you were trying to get Ranma back to the Tendo's by any chance?"

His relentless prodding at the logs ceased quicker than he intended, betraying his surprise and alarm; his eyes looking everywhere else but at her as he tried to avoid eye contact with the woman. It was a long pregnant silence that left beads of sweat dribbling along his brow and neck as he felt her gaze stare penetratingly at him, as if she was reading his mind.

"I thought so," she added calmly with a strange certainty. "I didn't expect such a reaction though, which makes me wonder if there's something you've kept back."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied evenly.

"Of course you don't dear," despite her words her tone said differently. "You've seen what can happen though, when you bottle things up and try to deal with them alone. The results are not pretty and it isnt healthy. I can see that whatever it was that happened was as difficult for you as it was for Ranma. Whatever you say stays between us."

Ryoga glanced over his shoulders at the tents only a dozen feet away. He let himself feel around, making sure no one else was around that had gone unnoticed so far. When he was sure there wasn't, he sighed.

His eyes slowly met hers, and he hoped they didn't look as pleading as they felt. "I would rather forget any of that ever happened."

"Running away only gets you so far before you have to stop for breath," she replied calmly. He gave her a long steady stare that didn't seem to bother her one bit. She added a few seconds later: "I just want to understand what happened and you are the only one that can help me with that. All I'm asking is that you share what happened with me."

Ryoga felt his mouth go dry.

Perhaps it was a trick of the fire light, or maybe he was tired enough that his mind was starting to play cruel tricks on him, but it suddenly seemed like it was Ranma sitting there staring at him, like she had swapped places with her mother somehow. They had the same eyes, the same jaw line, and the same delicate, yet strangely dangerous and disarming face and expressions. Then the fire flared, the light changed and all of a sudden it was Mrs. Saotome sitting there again, waiting patiently with an intense glint in those deep sapphire gems of hers.

He turned away, looking back into the dancing flames before him until his eyes watered from the stinging heat and smoke.

"What do you want to know exactly?" he wasn't sure she had heard him; he barely heard himself.

"What happened between Ranma's male form being destroyed and when you arrived at the Tendo's with her?" she asked gently.

He nodded reluctantly, sipping from his cantina to wet his throat. When he was finished he screwed the cap back on and set it down carefully, gathering his thoughts as he did. Shivers ran through him that weren't entirely because of the cold. Screams echoed through his head, remnant memories of that day.

"Well," he started calmly. "I lied… They didn't just let us go…"

...

...

_Two Months Ago_

...

...

_Time seemed to have stopped._

_Blood smeared across the rock wall. His shirt was ripped and his back covered in light gashes that oozed crimson down his flesh. He struggled to catch his breath, fighting the hot steaming air that rushed into his lungs and scorched the soft internal tissues. The grime and dirt smeared across his skin and clothes was mixing with the copious amounts of sweat to turn into sticky uncomfortable mud._

_With a vicious snarl Ryoga slammed a hand against the ground and forced himself into a sitting position against the wall, legs splayed out before him, shoulders rising and falling uncontrollably, struggling to catch his breath._

"Come on! Come on get up!"_ he growled at himself, while thinking: _"Damn it Ranma, you just had to throw me straight into him!"

_He was seeing colored spots throughout his left eye, and the right was swollen shut blinding him. The whole right side of his face ached and throbbed like it never had before. His right arm felt even worse where that monster had struck him early in the fight, the pain steadily growing till he could barely move it without feeling fiery tongues of pain searing at his joint, but he continued to use it because he knew there was no other choice, biting back against the agony the entire time. _

_Loathed as he was to admit it, the Guardian was more than they could handle. He doubted it would have made any difference even if the others had come with them to this place that seemed as though it had been raised straight out of hell._

_Visions of Akane and Akari filled his mind, reminding him why he was doing this. The very thought of them filled his heart with warmth and strength he always kept close to him, giving him the strength to carry on when he wanted to give up._

_His dry throat tickled with his laboured breathing sending him into a violent series of incapacitating coughs and hacking dry heaves until he was doubled over clutching at his stomach. He was glad they weren't there to see him though. He couldn't stand to see the looks of pity in their eyes at seeing him so utterly beaten. For them though he would have walked through the very gates of hell if they asked him to._

"_I won't be beaten by you!"_

_Ryoga snapped his head up to see a red light explode from the central platform, raising his hand a second later to protect his last remaining good eye. A few seconds later he hesitantly parted his fingers to, peaking through the gap; Crimson Beams lanced out in all directions, spinning around the platform as the light blasted Ranma with all the force of a charging rhino, ripping a blood curdling scream from the martial artist that reverberated around the cavern over and over again. Ranma was lifted into the air like a stringed puppet, arms and legs flailing uselessly as his eyes went wide and white. _

_Ryoga could only watch in frozen horror as cracks started appear across his rival's body; skin hardening and cracking, steam seeming to escape from the fissures that criss-crossed the pig tailed boy's form. An agony unlike anything Ryoga had ever witness or felt reflected in Ranma's eyes and screams that continued to fill the heated cavern._

_Light as red as blood flared through the cracks covering the martial artists body, he twisted in anguish as the cracks spider webbed across his face; bits of flesh turning to dust and crumbling from his face like plaster from house ceiling._

_The light soon exploded from Ranma's joints like a fountain of blood, taking chunks of hardened skin and clothing, revealing deeper dark light beneath. Ryoga felt his body tremble at the spectacle before him, fear screaming away in his head._

"_Akane! AKANE!" Ranma's desperate howls were inhuman._

_In one final burst, Ranma's eye widened one last time, and then his body exploded with an thunderous sonic boom that shook the walls and ceiling. The energy vaporized the chunks before they even left the platform. _

_As the echoes of the explosion faded, the cavern was blanketed in a painful silence…_

… _Ryoga pitched forward on his arms, the pain in his right no longer seeming important and threw up. He stayed like that until his every last scrap of fluid in his stomach was in a puddle in front of him, and then he continued to heave uselessly even as his eyes rolled up once more to the platform._

_The Guardian stood at its rim, staring at the out of control frenzy of light taking place in the middle; tendrils of energy whipping out violently, leaving deep rets in the platform and sending debris sailing into the space above the boiling lake below. _

_Ryoga could only shake his head. _"No… Ranma! It isn't possible! He can't die… You can't die! What about Akane?"

_Images of a mortified Akane filled his head at the thought of her, tears streaking her beautiful face. And what about Ukyo and Shampoo__? How could he tell any of them that Ranma was dead? He had been longing for the day he saw Ranma die for so long, how much sweeter it would have been at his own hands, but no one deserved what he had just witnessed._

"_You… bastards!" Ryoga slammed his fists into the ground with a roar._

_Dozens of feet away the Guardian turned and smirked arrogantly. "Witness now, the punishment of those that would steal from our Brotherhood!"_

_A chorus of chants filled the cavern, the monks celebrating their triumphant leader. Ryoga grounded his teeth as the rage filled him. _

_How dare they!_

_Without warning the raging energy tore it self apart like a popped bubble, sending strings of energy in every direction. Ryoga gasped in shock, sending the rage draining from his body. Suspended a few feet off the platform, with residual arcs of crimson energy crackling around him, was Ranma in his – very naked – girl form._

"What the hell…?" _confusion swept through his dim witted mind, leaving him dizzy and off centred. Then he spotted the ruby red jewel grasped tightly in the Guardian's hand. His eyes widened as he realized in horror, what he was staring at. _"No… it's suppose to remove the curse!"

_The Guardian caught him looking and his warped features grinned viciously as he turned fully, pointing the jewel at him. Ryoga froze in terror as the Guardian said: "You're next!"_

_A ripple of light flashing across the jewel's surface…_

"_Tetsuya watch out!" one of the monks cried out._

…_And then the Guardian pitched forward in surprise as something crashed into his back. He twisted as he fell forward, his face twisted in horror as his gasp of disbelief joined the wails of the watching monks when he saw Ranma standing there, snarling unrepentantly back at him, before she collapsed on her knees, and then on to her back._

_It was too late for him to do anything to stop himself; his feet had left the rim of the platform before he even knew what happened, his feet kicking at air too late. He seemed to hang suspended in mid air for a second, before gravity pulled him relentlessly down with an enraged and terrified scream. Ryoga scrambled to the edge of the outcropping just in time to see the boiling bubbling water close around the man; the jewel still clutched tightly in his hand, the water erupting up like from a geyser._

_Silence filled the cavern for the longest time as the lake quickly settled back into its __normal bubbling rhythm. The only sound that filled the cavern was the pops of countless bubbles and the hiss of steam that echoed off the walls…_

"_Murders!"_

_Ryoga looked up to see the unmistakeable sight of angry ki flowing about the gathering of monks around the edge of the upper walk way. _

"_MURDERS!" _

_He looked back and forth frantically trying to number them, but there was so many, an enraged sea of bodies rushing down the walk ways and out of tunnels brandishing countless different weapons and they were all rushing towards the central platform._

_Ryoga gathered every scrap of strength he had left and hauled himself through the air and over the lake, twisting his body a fraction out of the way of a spear that sailed past him. He landed heavily and rolled a couple of feet before pulling himself up and scrambling to Ranma's side. Her eyes were closed her and her chest barely rose at all with breath. Under normal circumstances even Ranma's naked female form would have caused his nose to bleed, but the will to survive banished all thoughts of embarrassment as he picked her up as he would any girl in need and leapt from the platform towards one of the tunnels…_

...

...

_The Present_

...

...

"...I'm not sure how long I ran for, but by the time I stopped, somehow I had found the way outside," Ryoga whispered softly, shuddering as he let the memories wash over him. "It was night, the air was cold and I didn't know where we were. I couldn't really think about anything else accept finding somewhere safe to hold up in. I was exhausted, terrified and I had a naked girl in my arms that was in a worst condition than me in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know what to do..."

They sat in silence for a long way, the only sound the crackle and pop of the fire and the night life around them. Were this under any other circumstances, this would have been a beautifully peaceful night. Not for him though. He was suddenly back there all over again, back in the cavern sprinting through the endless maze of tunnels and heat and steam. Being hunted like they were little more than animals was bad enough, but the constant fear of being splashed at random with cold water was even worse.

Exhaustion alone had nearly killed him more than once.

Even now he wasn't sure how they had gotten away with their lives.

"Ranma...killed a man?" Nodoka was shocked, but something about her tone said she wasn't sure if she should be horrified or not.

Her eyes were still wet with tears from his description of what had been done to Ranma, and why shouldn't they? He had just described – probably in more detail than was necessary he was willing to admit – how her child had been forced to suffer something akin to death but not being allowed the luxury of dying afterwards.

He could only hope the son of a bitch had suffered before the shock killed him…

"If it's any consolation, the bastard got what he deserved," he told her seriously with a conviction that surprised even him. "If she hadn't, I would have done it. I don't know how but I would have found a way. No one should have to experience what happened to her... it was horrific... And even after all that she still saved my worthless ass."

"Oh you're not worthless dear. Far from it," She said it with such honesty that he almost believed her. "And as for Ranma saving you, well from what I know you've saved her just as many times. You shouldn't think any less of yourself because of that."

So this is who Ranma gets those rare moments of kindness from, he thought with amusement as he allowed a small grin to tug at his mouth.

"I didn't tell anyone about what happened to the Guardian because I didn't know how Ranma would react. I wasn't sure how anyone would react. I thought it was best just to keep it to myself until Ranma remembered by herself; if she remembered at all," he explained.

Nodoka nodded. "I understand."

"I wish I could say that was the end of it, but the day after I got us out of there I realized Ranma was sick. She had a fever that just came out of no where...and to make things worse, I had to abandon our packs and we still had those psychotic monks after us..."

...

...

_Two Months Ago_

...

...

_Ryoga shivered as the cold breeze ran across his bare chest, like dancing fingers caressing his flesh. Exhaustion nipped at his heels as he crouched under a tree, rocking back and forth with tired eyes staring at the small pathetic fire in the center of the clearing. His belt sword slowly drew lines back and forth in the dirt as he listened for the slightest noise that seemed out of place. He'd have been a fool to think they had given up searching for them, not when they had chased them for this long already._

_Certifiable whack jobs that the relentless bastards were._

_He had ran from place to place non stop before without problems. But he had never been chased by an enemy like this before. They had kept coming at him from every direction, never letting up, forcing him to fight while running and carrying another person. This was the first real amount of time he'd been given to rest and breathe._

_Time to think…_

"_Ugh…"_

_He glanced sideways at the red head laying next to him, tossing and turning as she struggled with imaginary demons, his long sleeved shirt looking more like a night gown on her. It didn't provide the girl with much warmth, but it was the only thing he could offer since they'd been force to abandon their packs before they'd even made the attempt for the jewel. He couldn't make the fire any larger without running the risk of giving away their location anymore than he already had. She was covered in sweat that had long since outstayed its welcome. Its presence constant from the moment they left the caves… _

"_No! It's my ramen!" Ranma grunted without warning, an arm flopping out lazily to swat at her invisible offender. "Its mine I said!"_

_He was getting used to the nonsense she'd be sprouting in her semi-lucid states._

"_Shut up Saotome…" he sighed, his tone devoid of the malice and harshness it would have normally carried. _

_Ranma's featured twisted into a pout as she muttered something he didn't quiet catch, and then drifted back off into fevered sleep again. _

_Ryoga just shook his head at the crazy red head._

_He'd never seen Ranma look so helpless. _

_So normal._

_It wasn't natural…_

_Whatever magic the jewel had worked on Ranma, it had left her vulnerable to the elements because he knew Ranma would never have been brought down so easily by something like a fever. For all he knew the magic of the jewel had caused the fever. _

_Only thing he did know was that she was in serious trouble. Her breathing was labored and the fever was getting worse. _

_He was sure he could have fried an egg on her forehead with the heat it was giving off._

"_This is some mess you've gotten us into this time Ranma," he whispered more to himself than anything else. "But…I'll get us out of this somehow…"_

_The teenager rubbed his eyes with tired frustration, trying to ignore the hunger pains shooting through his stomach and intestines. He'd never felt so hungry in his life. For all the times he had gotten lost and came close to starving to death he had never felt the hunger burning away his insides as powerfully as it did now._

_He glanced up at the leafs of the trees and wondered how edible they were… _

…

"_NO! STOP IT!"_

_Ryoga swore with fright as Ranma screamed, her arms flailing and legs kicking frantically at air. He hesitated only for a second as she continued to scream and shriek like someone being murdered, before he reached over and snatched her wrists in his hands. Her eyes had popped open and were filled with terrified tears, but they rolled back half way into her skull. There was no recognition there, only the vacant unseeing gaze of someone trapped in a nightmare that wouldn't end._

_She flung her head back and forth, nearly clipping it on a rock sticking out of the ground. "Get away! GET AWAY FROM ME!"_

"_Ranma stop it! Nothing's wrong!" he shouted._

_Even in the state she was in she was still strong enough to make him struggle with her. Sharp nails dug at his skin, drawing blood down his arms in jagged lines and a hiss that escaped through his clenched teeth. He tore her hands away from his arms with a great deal of effort and held both wrists in one hand while he used the other to pull her closer, trapping her legs between his arm and body as he tried not to hurt her. _

"_You can't do this! You can't! STOP IT!" Ranma wailed with tears streaming down her face trying to break his hold. "Let me go!"_

"_Damn it Ranma it's me you idiot! I'm trying to help you!" Ryoga cried desperately as she kept fighting back._

_She stilled slowly, her struggles ceasing as her eyes focused on his, confusion filling them as tears continued to trickle out with "Ry…oga…?"_

_He breathed in relief. "Yes, it's me Ranma."_

_She stared a while longer, scrutinizing his features as if to make sure he was who he said he was; She started to tremble in his arms and he became uncomfortably aware of how he was holding her, but even as he let go of her wrists, she grabbed on to him, clinging to him like she was about to fall, her teeth chattering as she buried her head against him, startling him with the sudden action._

"_I'm cold…" she whispered softly, voice trembling._

_Without thinking he felt her forehead, and nearly flinched in shock. _

_Cold?_

_She was burning up…_

"_C…c…can't run," she muttered, her voice starting to trail off and her eyes starting to slowly close once more. "Can't run anymore… hurts too much…p…pain…take it away…please take it away…"_

_The pleading desperation of her tone left him shaking and wanting to do what she asked. If there was anyway he could have taken away whatever pain she was feeling he would have done it right then without hesitation. Maybe it was the exhaustion from everything that had happened, but he could feel something breaking inside of him; he could feel something give, like a knot unraveling that left his throat dry and his face softening in concern as he looked down at her not knowing what he could do…_

…_She was so small…_

_He'd never really noticed before, just how small she really was…_

…_Within seconds she was out of it again; she was still spasming slightly and making small distressing sounds like she was being chased by someone or something. He wondered what fever induced delusions were haunting her now. Her face twitched with fear, whimpers escaping her lips, but they weren't nearly as bad as they had been before. Soon they ceased altogether as she buried her head tighter against his body, hers relaxing into a steady almost normal sleep as she found some measure of comfort and safety. Ryoga just continued to hold her; afraid to put her down, afraid to wake her, afraid to move, afraid not to. Common sense fighting with the overpowering urge to run blindly into the night. _

_No he told himself firmly, it was better to wait for day light now. _

_He would only run himself in circles through the forest if he went now._

_Just rest for now, he told himself as he stared over at the pitiful puny fire, watching the flames dance back and forth in a mesmerizing fashion._

_He didn't even notice his eyes close, drifting into an uneasy sleep…_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Ryoga's eyes flew open as strong hands hauled him up by his hair; Ranma tumbling from his arms as he was pulled to his feet and slammed against the tree they'd been sleeping against. His vision blurred as his head crashed against the tree, pain searing through his skull as he cried out and tried to wrench free of his attacker, only for a fist to smash powerfully into his stomach with enough force to double him over._

"_Thought you could get away from us didn't you!" snarled his attacker._

_A foot planted itself across his face, sending him sprawling across the ground with blood oozing from his mouth. Within seconds he was hauled to his feet again by his arms and pinned against the tree with his arms bent back to near breaking point as another pair of hands bound them around and behind the tree. He sneered angrily at the sight of the dozen or more monks surrounding them, squinting against the bright morning sun in confusion, cursing to himself when he realized he'd fallen asleep._

_Ranma's shrill scream filled the air as she was yanked off her feet by her pig tail, and her arms bound behind her back. Aside from the pain of having her hair nearly ripped out she still looked out of it._

"_Let her go you bastards!" Ryoga roared, straining at his bonds, but his captors weren't that stupid, there were still monks holding his arms in place for extra measure. "Can't you see she's sick! She can't fight back!"_

"_She's not sick you moron," the monk replied dryly. "This happens to all those cursed by Jusenkyo when they have one of their forms removed. Her body is still changing. The jewel leaves the individual weakened greatly while its magic does its work. However she will not live to see the change complete; had she not killed our master, she would have been allowed to live, but not now!"_

"_That doesn't matter! The point is she can't fight back! Have you no honor!" Ryoga demanded._

_The monk that had been hitting him struck him again; punching across the face hard enough to set the world spinning in his eyes. Shock rippled through him that he actually felt the hits. It was rare to feel even Ranma's strongest punches and kicks as strongly as he felt these ones. It had to be the hunger and exhaustion he thought. There was no way these people could hurt him with such pathetic attacks if he weren't already in bad shape himself._

"_You shut your mouth!" the monk shouted. "This filthy murdering bitch is gonna get what she deserves for killing our great leader Tetsuya Kawahara!"_

"_That son of a bitch got what he deserved!" Ryoga snapped._

_Again the Monk hit him, loosening several teeth this time. The teenager spat a glob of blood into the man's face, watching with great satisfaction as the glob splattered across the bastards face...and received a kick to the stomach for his efforts._

"_You Jusenkyo freaks think you can get away with whatever you want don't you! That the rules of others don't apply to you!" the monk demanded angrily. "Not this time though! Both of you will pay for what you have done! You will pay for trespassing on our sacred sanctuary and for trying to steal what is ours!"_

"_And what about what your bastard leader did!" Ryoga demanded, ignoring the punch in the face that followed. "Did you see what that asshole did? Or are you so cold blooded that you don't care if someone is put through that kind of agony!"_

"_The stupid bitch got what she deserved. Now she's going to suffer even more," the monk sneered, before glancing over at the girl practically dangling by her hair without the strength to stand on her own feet and grinned lecherously. "It'd be a shame to let such a beautiful body go to waste though."_

_Ryoga gawked in disbelief as a sea of similar grins appeared across the faces of the other monks. "You bastards! Don't you dare touch her!"_

_The monk in front of him gave him an unimpressed look. "You are in no position to give us orders boy."_

"_If you so much as touch her I'll send you straight to hell!" Ryoga warned. _

_As if to call his bluff the monk moved unflinchingly to the defenseless red head and took her off the man holding her up. While one arm held her up by her waist, the man's other hand snaked to one of her breasts, groping her roughly enough through the oversized shirt for the martial artists to cry out in her fevered state, unaware of everything that was going on around her, except that she was in danger. Ryoga roared angrily at the blatant disrespect and mistreatment Ranma was being shown when she couldn't even defend herself and the terror that twitched her features. _

_The monk sneered at him as he slowly ran a hand down over the red head's hip, rubbing the outside of her thigh with the implied threat he'd go further, apparently unconcerned that until a few days earlier Ranma had been a guy. In fact how humiliating it would be for Ranma only seemed to make it more satisfying for the son of a bitch, from the gleam that shone through his eyes. Ryoga could only shake with growing rage._

_Not even Ranma deserved this! _

"_Well boy?" the man hissed suddenly. "You going to send me to hell or not?"_

_Ryoga saw red. "I SAID LEAVE HER ALONE!"_

_Ki erupted around the enraged teen in an explosion of enraged anger; muscled bulged as he let loose a terrifying roar that boomed through the forest like a thunderclap. The monks all around him balked as he surged against those that tried desperately to hold him place. Others rushed to help, but the martial artist was enraged beyond reason, strength pulsed through his limbs. With a burst of strength he flung the men away from him, snapping the wrist bindings with a roar that would have made the hulk envious._

"_Get him you fools!" the de'facto leader ordered frantically at his frightened comrades, suddenly aware of the overwhelming danger directed at him._

_Ryoga spun around and wrapped his arms around the tree he'd been pinned again and started to pull up. He roared and snarled as he tightened his grip, ignoring the countless splinters piercing his flesh and breaking off. The ground beneath him rumbled and shook as roots started to come loose, stubbornly clinging to the earth. The tree shook with effort, protesting against what was being done to it. The monks watched in horror as the tree came loose with a bellow of triumph from Ryoga._

"_Kill him!" the leader shouted._

_Handling the tree like it was little more than a twig he swung it around with blinding speed, collecting trees and monks that didn't move out of the way fast enough. The others scrambled in every direction like roaches in a lit room. Others tried to come at him from behind, but his reflexes were faster, swinging the tree around and batting the warriors back through the forest for further than he could see. Ryoga was heedless of the destruction he was causing, ignoring the other trees that were leveled with his destructive sweeps, his eyes burning with a berserk fury._

_Ryoga relentlessly batted aside wave after wave of fighters, an endless stream of it seemed that poured out of the forests around them. How many were their waiting to rush into the fight and aid their comrades. How many were there ready to kill him. He'd been stupid to think that the only ones were the ones he could see._

"_Give up you stupid fool!" the leader ordered, holding Ranma as though she were a shield. "You can't win in the condition you're in! There's too many of us for you to beat!"_

_A number of the fighters managed to strike his tree all at the same time, sending cracks tearing through the tree so that it broke up apart in his hands under the stress it was under. Ryoga snarled as the pieces of tree fell from his grip, but he didn't back down. He didn't even slow down as he threw himself at them._

_The warrior monks came at him renewed vigor now that he stood there weaponless._

_His shoulders sagged as he fought back, dodging and blocking a storm of kicks and punches that came at him from every direction; attacks slipped through his defenses and struck him across his body wherever they could. He felt joints bruising and numbness spreading through different areas._

_He roared in agony as a kick connected with the side of his knee, buckling his leg under him and dropping him on one knee._

_A second later another kick buckled his other leg, leaving him breathless as the pain clawed at the joints in his legs._

_The monks all backed off; suddenly thinking he was no longer a threat._

"_You're gonna die for nothing you worthless bastard!" the leader taunted him hatefully. "No one will find your pathetic carcass!"_

…

…_. Maybe he was right, Ryoga thought, his eyes weary and his mind growing more and more unfocused with each labored breath. No one would care if he died. No one would even bat an eye. His parents would never know, they would simply think he was just lost. No one would even look for him. After all, he was Ryoga, the Eternal Lost Boy; he always turned up eventually no matter how long it took, at least that's what everyone would think while his body slowly fed back into the earth. _

_Everything he had ever done would be for nothing._

_And worse yet these bastards would do unspeakable things to the one that had saved his life, and then kill her just because he couldn't do the same for her. Ranma would pay the heaviest price for his failure._

_Akari would think he had abandoned her._

_And Akane would go on living without a sparing him a second thought…_

_Ryoga stared at the de'facto leader with a grim look. "You shouldn't have made me think unhappy thoughts…"_

_The leader spat. "Why is that?"_

"_Because of this," he whispered, ki starting to burn around the young man like an inferno; tendrils lashing out around him, rocks and rubble being pushed up by the powerful updraft of energy, engulfing Ryoga in a pillar of dark crimson as he threw his head back and screamed. "__Shishi Hōkōdan_!"

_..._

_..._

_..._

_The energy swirled for the longest time, roaring around the teenager like a hurricane. Ryoga felt the earth beneath him being eaten away, forming the deepest crater this attack had ever caused. He could do nothing but stand there and wait and listen, the screams of his enemies being drowned out by the roar of the raging energy. _

_Smash them all, he thought, smash them all to dust!_

_When the energy dissipated he was standing at the center of the crater carved from the ground by his attack, warrior monks sprawled all around him, along the sides, along the rim, around his feet; smoke smoldered from their limp unconscious bodies, their robes singed and torn, exposed flesh burnt in places as their bodies twitched sporadically. He could hear trees, weakened from the explosion of energy finally give into the laws of gravity and crash to the ground outside of the crater. _

_He almost felt surprise when he saw the de'facto leader struggling to stand, Ranma still gripped tightly around the waist whose body had ironically been protected by the very man that would kill her without hesitation._

_The monk coughed and hacked violently as his chest heaved. Finally he looked up and stared in disbelief at the sight of his men defeated. _

"_You monster!" he hissed at Ryoga. When Ryoga took one menacing step towards him the monk grabbed Ranma under the chin and yanked her head sideways till she cried out, stopping Ryoga in mid step. "BACK OFF or I swear I'll snap this bitch's neck! Don't think I won't!"_

"_If you do that it'll make me very unhappy," the hollowness of Ryoga's tone was like a spear through the monk's bravado. Energy started to burn around him again like a living being, hissing and calling for the blood of his enemies. "I can do this all day… Can you?"_

_The warrior monk flinched at the sight of the demonic battle aura that encircled the young man, gulping visibly as he looked back and forth between his captured prey and the demon that was ready to obliterate him from the face of the earth. It was a tense stand off, with Ryoga never wavering even for a second as his ki continued to burn._

_With a howl of frustration the monk threw Ranma at him. Ryoga caught her easily, letting his battle aura die away._

"_You may have won today you filth!" the monk seethed angrily. "But mark my words boy, the full might of our brotherhood will fall upon you one day! You and your bitch will pay for what you have done even if I personally have to escort you to the gates of hell!"_

_Ryoga sneered. "You'll never get the chance again!"_

_The monk snarled one final time, grunting with frustration; then jumped to the rim of the crater and disappeared into the forest, and…_

…_Seconds later, Ryoga collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. _

"_Damn. Thought he was going to call my bluff," he murmured with a relieved chuckle of disbelief that it had actually worked, only to grimace at the pain surging through his limbs from the hits he had taken. He looked up at the clear blue sky. "At least it's a nice day."_

_Ranma squirmed in his arms, breathing just as heavily as him, but with small gasps of distress and pain, her eyes fluttering rapidly with nightmares and delusions. Even if her fever was a result of the jewel, she was still in a dangerous state; he couldn't dawdle in getting her home. _

_Ryoga sighed as he looked down at her. "Just hold on Ranma, I'll get us out of this…" _

...

...

The Present

...

...

"…And that's what happened." Ryoga explained softly. "We traveled for another nine days before I was able to find someone to help point us in the right direction and from there it was pretty easy going, I only got lost three more times. Ranma kept sprouting nonsense in her sleep, but it didn't get as bad as it had that night she went berserk though. I think I managed to scare those monks off though, I expected them to attack us again but they never came. I think that other guy was just talking big, I don't think he'd dare attack us again."

That didn't mean he hadn't been keeping an eye around Nerima for any signs of the bastards. Call it paranoia, or battle hardened instinct but part of him knew they hadn't given up, even if they hadn't attacked yet. He wasn't willing to take the chance that they were just waiting for them to let their guard down. It had only been a small comfort to know that it had been the Preservation Society that had attacked them, and not the brotherhood.

He felt guilty though.

The brotherhood's promise of revenge was something he should've told Ranma about.

He looked over at Mrs. Saotome and saw that she had a look of angry malice flashing through her eyes. She'd had that look since he'd told her how the monk had manhandled her daughter so disrespectfully. She looked like a volcano ready to explode. Ryoga could very easily imagine her hunting down each and every one of the monks and slaughtering them with her bare hands if things had gone further than they had.

Something about this woman scared the hell out of him.

What was it about an angry mother that was so terrifying? He had faced death itself several times; fought dangerous and deadly opponents; swam oceans, crossed continents and faced the prospect of losing friends, but none of that was as frightening as the prospect of facing down an angry mother.

He remembered moments when he was a kid when his mother had known things she couldn't possibly have known that he had done that he shouldn't have, and her wrath had been every bit as terrible as he imagined Mrs. Saotome's would be if she was pushed far enough. She seemed like a calm enough woman, gentle and caring with an air about her that made you want to be a good person; but, he sensed that beneath all that beat the heart of a true warrior; a woman capable of doing anything to protect her family.

Ryoga eyed the cloth wrapped katana warily. He wouldn't have even known what it was if he hadn't seen her cleaning it one night.

She didn't carry it with the comfort or confidence of an experienced swordswoman, but something told him, that didn't matter to her.

Perhaps this was from whom Ranma got her sheer relentless determination from as well.

"Thank you Ryoga," Nodoka said finally, slipping back into her normal gentle natured veneer. "I am glad Ranma had such a good friend to look out for her during that trying time."

Ryoga shook his head. "You shouldn't thank me Mrs. Saotome. I did what anyone would have done under the situation."

"You're being too modest," she told him.

He couldn't help but frown, frustration swirling within him. "You should know that in the past I've plotted against Ranma for all the slights against me she's made. I've tried to kill her several times for knocking me into one of the Jusenkyo springs. Me and Ranma are not the good friends people think we are. We've put our differences aside to work together before, but it was never for longer than was necessary. There were times when I would have left Ranma to be killed by those bastards. There were times when, had I been in her position and she in mine, I would have stolen the jewel and left her to die."

If anything he just said angered her in anyway, she didn't show it. Nodoka continued to look at him with her calm and caring eyes, unperturbed by his heated admittance.

"But not anymore?" she asked suddenly.

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Well," the older woman started, pausing as she adjusted her sitting posture. "You said there were times. You were speaking in past tense, so I assume you mean you don't feel that way anymore?"

"Well no I don't," he admitted quickly. "But–"

"You've also risked your own life to save her not once but twice in recent months," she explained as she cut him off. "First when the monks tried to kill her and then again when these Preservation Society monsters kidnapped her even though you didn't have to on either occasion. And, the two times that she attacked you, at the Tendo's and behind the school you could have retaliated and hurt her, but you didn't. Your actions have been those of a caring friend in my opinion and personally I don't care what your relationship with Ranma was like before all this happened. All that matters now is how you act from this point on. I think you've already realized this; otherwise you wouldn't sound so hard on yourself, right?"

Ryoga sighed deeply after a long silence and nodded.

Nodoka just patted his knee reassuringly. "You don't need to explain your reasons to me or anyone else. You shouldn't dwell on the past though. What's done is done and you can't change that no matter how much you punish yourself; so just keep striving for the future and you'll find your way eventually."

"I understand," he nodded slowly.

"Good," she said, finally standing up and delicately brushing her kimono. "Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to try and get some sleep before morning. You should do the same; you don't want to push yourself too hard before we get there."

He nodded again, offering a reassuring smile in return. "Yeah, I'll try. Goodnight Mrs. Saotome."

"Goodnight," she added before starting back to the tents. But, she had only gone a couple of feet when she turned and asked: "Was there anything else that happened that I should know about?"

"No, nothing," he replied calmly.

"Alright, goodnight then," and with that she turned and disappeared into the tent she was sharing with Akane and Ukyo.

Ryoga returned his attention to the fire, poking at the fire with careful strokes and a look of deep thought in his eyes as he sighed. _"Nothing you __**need**__ to know…"_

….

…

…

…

….

The room was lit up like a super villain's lair straight out of a bad spy movie. Monitors spread across the far wall, several small ones arranged around a single large monitor each showing different security feeds in and around the mountain complex. The central monitor was the one that showed their main prize; the young red head in her cell, huddled in the corner of the cold dank room shivering violently as her breath frosted in front of her mouth.

The Vice Chairman stared at the live feed of the once feisty martial artist, savoring the feeling of satisfaction of having her under lock and key. Like Kinnii he still harbored ill feelings towards this young one for the defeat she had dealt them well over a year ago. She'd been so smug about her victory back then, and perhaps that was what had been the worst about it. She hadn't really beaten them; all she had done was trigger Kinnii's curse.

To him that wasn't winning; it was cheating.

If it was one thing he hated as much as the Code of Conduct being violated, it was cheating.

Even still, he couldn't place his finger on it but something didn't seem right. A strange feeling he couldn't shake, nor identify, all he knew, was that something about the girl set his nerves on edge when he looked at her; even from the safety of this room.

The door at the other end of the room creaked open, a shaft of light spilling into the room and splitting the darkness. He glanced back over his shoulder with a neutral look at Lady Yukino, dressed in her flowing and beautiful kimono. The woman scared him, and with good reason too; she was one of the most deadly people he had ever met. However her dedication to the Society was unwavering and her talents had been a great addition to the methods the Society had at its disposal.

"How is she coming?" he asked her calmly.

Yukino stared up the screen, showing the two men entering the cell and dragging the weak limbed girl from the cell to prepare her for her next session. The Vice Chairman felt a shiver of unease slide down his spine as she disappeared off screen, but he waved the feeling aside. There was nothing to worry about…

"She has one of the strongest minds I have ever encountered," she explained. "Her sheer determination is impressive, if not awe inspiring to be honest. Part of me is sorry to be doing this to her, but a stronger part of me is enjoying the challenge she presents. It has never taken me this long. She forced me to use the _Heaven's Bliss_ point sooner than I would have liked to."

"She is remarkable," he agreed, he would admit that much, however grudgingly. The recordings of what she had been subjected to had been hard to watch, but gratifying at the same time. Her will to resist however was, as he had said remarkable. "How much longer do you need?"

"It's hard to say," she replied honestly. "As I said, she has a strong mind for one so young, and she's aware of what I'm trying to do. Even when I trick her mind she knows what's happening to her and she keeps finding a well of strength to draw from to resist me. It's incredible to say the least. I doubt I will ever encounter another such as her capable of resisting this long. She endures even the most painful agony I can inflict and still has the spirit to mouth back."

"What will break first though? Her spirit or her mind?" he asked seriously. "She's no good to us if she goes insane and can't tell us what we need to know; and, I don't want her permanently damaged if it can be avoided."

"Don't worry," Yukino assured him softly. "I'll get the information you want. Her will is strong, but mine is stronger. She can't resist much longer, not with the tweaking I've made to her to mind, and her body craving for the _Heaven's Bliss_ point is greater than ever, weakening her resistance even further."

The Vice Chairman allowed a small smile to spread across his face as he watched the woman turn glide from the room with inhuman grace. The jewel was the greatest treasure they had coveted for countless centuries. With it they could finally win the ending war with miscreants that abused the power of Jusenkyo with their petty greed and desire. With the jewel they could put an end to that forever. Perpetrators could be properly punished, trapped forever in forms they could do no harm in, or removing the curse itself from those that earned it. Oh yes, with the jewel they would change the balance of power forever.

Soon, it would be the dawning of new age, and the Jusenkyo Preservation Society would be the one at the forefront.

….

…

…

…

….

The dark sky was steadily brightening, light throwing itself across the morning backdrop with splashes of reds and oranges that pushed back the violet dawn, blinking the stars out one by one. Birds, waking from the cold night took flight to hunt their breakfast as the trees and grass bowed and swayed to the morning wind; leafs and blades of grass rustling against one another, making it seem as if nature was roaring in anticipation of the battle that would soon erupt.

Mt. Aso awaited the group as they crested the hill, the fiery morning sky blazing behind it as the sun rose along the mountain line, a strip of brilliant light separating the rocky monolith from the orange sky. The group paused to stare at the undeniably beautiful sight, savoring for the moment the gentle peace it offered, banishing the pre-battle agitation they all felt. With their packs left behind in their camp and – for those that had them – their weapons in hand, they were ready to fight.

Ryoga stood tall with a fierceness etched into his face, a do or die air about him that infected the others. His back was as good as new with only the giant scar to mark that he had ever been injured. With determination fueling a raging fire that surged through his limps, yearning in anticipation for the fight ahead of him. A single fang overlapped his lower lip as he gazed the mountain waiting for them, compelling them to come hither; daring them to assault its natural defenses. Somewhere within its stony vaults was Ranma, and none of them were going to leave, not until they found her.

Without turning he quietly said: "Let's go."

And with that, with beams of morning light breaking past their bodies and stretching their shadows across the ground behind them, the group started off on the final leg of their journey…

_**To Be Continued **_

**A/N**

**Well that turned out longer than I intended…**

**I'm not gonna dally long here. This chapter wasn't meant to be action packed or epic by any stretch, it was simply an interlude before the fight ahead of the characters. The next chapter will probably be at least as long as this one, if not longer with what I have planned and I am looking forward to starting and finishing it as soon as possible.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you have questions or peeves, feel free to PM me, I'd love to discuss them with you.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Delicate Touch Pt 3

**A/N:**

_I am so sorry this has taken so long to finish and even now its not completely finished. The last couple of months have just been real hell and it took away a lot of the drive I had while writing this story. Make things worse, my grandmother passed away during this time too._

_I'm back now though and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things._

_Ok, lets see._

_During the process of nearing the end of chapter 10, I was starting to approach the 60 page mark and that was just too big to have as one chapter, so I made the decision to break it down into three chapters like I originally done with chapter 8. Chapter 10 and 11 are finished, chapter 12 shouldn't be that far behind as I'm finally starting to get back into it. Materia Blade has kindly agreed to help with beta reading which I can not thank for enough. _

_To Ozzallos: I had no idea there was even a game called Tabula Rasa out there, let alone know what its about ; As for crossovers in general, I don't like them. I only read them IF and only if they make sense and will I only ever write one for that same reason._

_Finally before we start, I would just like to say this chapter story arc has completely and utterly left me wrecked _ Never have I written a set of chapters that have left me so completely and mentally exhausted. When this arc is finished I'm probably gonna have to take week break from it so my brain doesn't explode __

_OH! I have started a blog that readers can visit for updates on chapters in progress and such so you aren't left in limbo if it takes a month or more to get a chapter finished._

_You can find the link to the blog in my profile._

Chapter 10

_The Delicate Touch Pt 3_

_Unending Fire!_

The darkness, broken by the flickering firelight and the sound of overlapping footsteps echoing along the tunnel seemed to surge upon the two men as though were a living creature beckoning them deeper into its realm. The darkness mustered primal feelings within them, feelings that had kept their ancient ancestors alive in a world where it was kill or be killed, survival of the fittest for the strongest creature; when it was just man against animal and the rules of life were so much easier. It was those primal instincts, the warning bells that whispered or screamed at the back of your mind in the face of danger that prickled at them now.

The tunnels, like the winding gullet of a great beast dripped with cold condensation while tiny fissures vented puffs of hot steam only to be dispersed by the winter chill that penetrated even this far down. It seemed an affront to nature that it could be so cold inside the caves of a volcano; and not just any volcano, but one of the largest in the world. They were inside a volcano, a thought that was never far from the minds of not only these two, but every man and woman that worked out of the secret base. Every now and then, a small almost negligible tremor sent vibrations up through the miles of tightly packed earth and up through their bodies, reminding them where they were and that in the grand scheme of things it was mother nature that held their lives in her hands, and all she had to do to snuff them out was….

…snap her fingers…

…It sent a shiver of unease through one of the men, a tingling that started at the base of the spine and clawed its way up with malicious delight. Not for the first time he questioned his reasons for volunteering for this assignment; he hated caves!

They passed by dozens of empty cells on either side of them, simple impressions carved into the walls and filled with black liquid darkness. Though the network of tunnels, created naturally – no doubt by past eruptions and worn glassy smooth by numerous magma flows – had existed for countless centuries, millenniums even, the Society had only recently turned it into a base of operations.

It was so new that of all the countless cells, only one was being used.

And its occupant now dangled between them, silent and limp.

They had made her out in the faint light that reached beyond the metal bars of her cell; a small shape that sat leaning against the wall with matted red hair that, in the murky dimness that she cloaked herself in looked as dark as blood. Her eyes were half closed and she looked as still as death, save for the small rise and fall of her chest. She didn't seem to notice them when they entered and hauled her to her feet, or she simply didn't care anymore. Perhaps one of the men thought, her mind had finally broken and the will to resist had fled her. He couldn't blame her, not after the screams he had heard Yukino wrench from the young girl in the last three weeks. He had thought the girl was dead after just the first session alone; He couldn't believe it when she came to, kicking and screaming when they had brought her back to her cell.

How she found the strength he would never know.

Now she was silent, face lined with exhaustion and her eyes reflecting the deep despondence of someone that had lost hope.

Somehow, she managed to make it seem incredibly unsettling…

He had been a member of the Society for a long time, striving to ensure that the sacred Code of Conduct was upheld at all costs. His years spent amongst their ranks had seen countless prisoners subjected to Yukino's tortures and the harsh hands of others without even the slightest hesitation; and, had seen them all break in the end. So why, he wondered did this one keep fighting? What gave her the strength to endure the agony she had been exposed to?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure her out…

Did she have nothing to lose?

Didn't she care for her own well being?

What gave her such strength that she could make Lady Yukino storm from the chamber after almost every session in raving fits of frustration? These were the only times they had ever seen the usually calm and collected woman lose her noble conservative image so easily. Some were even brave enough to suggest that this girl, this tiny teenager was going to be the first person that Yukino failed to break, but deep down everyone knew the truth.

Yukino never gave up.

This girl would break eventually; it was just a matter of when.

After all, everyone had their limits…

"What do you say we up the stakes today?" asked the other guard – younger and arrogant then the other man, sure of his own understanding of the world around him and lacking any regard for anyone but himself – with a cruel grin spreading across his face. "5000 yen says she only lasts five hours this time."

"She'll last more than that, she always does," replied the first one.

The other guard rolled his eyes. "Fine, seven hours for 7000 yen!"

"I'll pass this time."

"Oh come on you always pass! You're just afraid to lose, that's what it is."

"Yeah, afraid my wife will kill me for losing good money on these stupid wagers," the man shrugged, never once taking his eye off the girl. "Besides, we shouldn't be so cold hearted about this. It isn't right…"

For a second he had to wonder if he was talking about the gambling on something like this, or if he was really talking about what was being done to this girl. Never had he considered that the Society might be doing anything wrong, after all they had ensured that he could provide for his family without worry and he believed in upholding the sacred Code of Conduct. But, the screams of this girl had been hard to listen to, striking a cord in his heart no other prisoner ever had. He listened to them and thought of his own daughter, about the same age as the girl they carried between them, terrified that something as horrible could happen to her. The people cursed at Jusenkyo though, were dangerous, he knew this and believed that they had to be taught, but surely there was a better way than this? Wasn't there?

The other guard sneered down at the girl. "Why shouldn't we? Her kind are nothing but freaks. They don't deserve the same rights normal people have. They should be locked up in a zoo somewhere, or dissected."

A small surge of anger glinted in the man's eyes at that comment. "What about their dignity? Don't they have a right to that?"

"Don't be a fool, you stupid old man! She wouldn't be here if she hadn't already thrown dignity out the window. If she's here than she deserves whatever she gets!" the other guard growled. "Besides, look at her. She's a pathetic weak little girl! Nothing but a waste of space. I doubt she'll even last this session."

"And yet, I would like to see you endure Yukino's torture for as long as she has," the man replied icily.

The other guard's mouth open to speak, but words failed him as his lips opened and closed like a fish gasping for breath. Terror flicked across his eyes at the mere idea of that suffering; a shudder rippling through his being with such intensity that for a brief moment he looked like he was in the throes of death's grip. The man eyed him steadily, struggling with the smirk of satisfaction he felt threatening to split his face at his "comrade's" discomfort. Let the young pup consider such thoughts for a while, he thought, perhaps it would make more of a man out of him.

"Let's just get this over and done with!" the other guard flushed with embarrassment at his own discomfort as they reached the heavy iron door that blocked the exit of the prison tunnels.

The older man turned away with a contemptuous shake of his head, letting go of the girl as he stepped up to the door, fishing out a key and jammed it into the lock. The locking bolts slid free with a loud clunk, echoing through the silent tunnels. He had only just grabbed the handle and started to pull the door open when the young guard behind him screamed without warning, but before he could turn around stars exploded in his eyes, a white flash of agony erupting through his nose and head as something hard nailed him in the small of the back and smashed him into the door with the force of a small car. He couldn't even cry out, his chest and throat seizing in pain as his knees buckled and he slid down the door on to his ass, listening to the frantic shouts of his young partner.

He turned and saw, through pain and tear blurred eyes the young girl, bounding sides ways at the other guard, ducking under a swing of his quarterstaff and grabbing the collar of his uniform in clenched fists and throwing him backwards over her shoulder and into the ground, screaming like a banshee as she flipped backwards and landed in a crouch over the young man.

"I'll show you who's pathetic!" Her battle aura flared around her like an inferno of raging blue flames as her voice boomed out in a terrible roar, rearing back her tightly clenched fist. "_Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken_!"

He gasped as he watched the enraged teenager's fist blur into a frenzy of punches, listening to the wails of agony ripping from her prey's lungs as his chest dented with countless impressions of the girls fist and the unmistakable sound of ribs cracking under the assault. The young man swung wildly at the girl, striking her across the waist and sides, but his attacks were nothing more to her than mosquito bites where to an elephant. She just attacked even harder, and slowly but steadily the young guard's arms dropped to the cool hard ground in defeat, his eyes glazing over before rolling into the back of his head, his blood splattering across the girl's flawless creamy flesh.

Fear and adrenalin surged through the older guard, driving him to his unsteady feet, pain searing through his face as the coppery tangy taste of his own blood flowed back into his mouth and over his lips and chin to splat against the ground. The caves spun around him and he stumbled backwards into the wall, digging his shoulder brutally into the hard surface as he fumbled to pull free the tonfa secured to his belt.

His fingers fumbled with the grip, and when he finally got a hold of it, a small delicate, yet powerful hand clasped over his, holding the tonfa in place. His head snapped up to find the young girl glaring dangerously into his eyes. Her hate filled blues bore into his, sending sharp shivers of fear stabbing through his gut and running down his spine.

"Don't make me hurt you anymore than I already have!" she snarled, gripping his hand tighter and digging her sharp nails into his flesh till he gasped aloud. "Because you know I will!"

Yes, she definitely would, he had no doubt of that.

He let his grip on the hilt slacked, the unmistakable feeling of defeat weighting his limbs as he slumped bodily against the wall. She sneered, as if she had been hoping he would try to stop her. He almost felt like he should have, to have given her the satisfaction at least of taking more of her anger out on those responsible for what had been done to her; and there was no mistake, he was just as responsible for carting her to her torture sessions every single day. She had all the right to hurt him as much as she wanted, he thought shamefully.

With a yank the girl ripped the tonfa from his belt, nearly pulling him over in the process.

"It doesn't amount to much…" he started, feeling his throat go dry, till he swallowed another small mouthful of blood. "….But I am sorr–!"

He didn't even have time to blink before the tonfa slammed against the side of his face. He hit the ground hard, moaning with agony searing through his head. He glanced up through hazy eyes at the enraged fury incarnate standing over him, her wide blue eyes burning dangerously.

"You're sorry?" she snarled in contempt, her knuckles whitening around the grip of the weapon in her hand. With lightning fast reflexes she pulled the weapon up over her head, letting loose a snarling roar of hate. "You're fucking _SORRY_! If you're so sorry, why didn't you do something! You're not sorry, but you will be!"

The man did the only thing he could as he watched with wide terrified eyes, the tonfa cleaved through the air towards him.

He screamed…

...

...

...

Cold tendrils of winter air encircled her limbs as she sprinted over the hard ground, darkness wrapping around and pulling away from her adrenalin infused figure as she passed through the patches of firelight and shadows. Teeth clenched to breaking point, the sound of her heart thundered in her ears, pulsing as a voice in the back of her head screamed for her to keep running. The heavy impacts against the hard surface of the cave floor sent jarring shocks through her body, tiny cuts leaving splatters of crimson along the ground that became lost in the darkness. Even as she ran she felt the tremors of fearful hope shooting through her.

The fearful hope of freedom, dangling tantalizingly before her, like a carrot being dangled in front of a horse.

And knew that it could be snatched away in a second.

So she ran, ran with everything she had left in her torture-battered body, weaving through the maze of tunnels with her only weapon held in a death grip, thick sticky blood dripping of its end behind her. She ran blindly, everything else around her a blur as her mind throbbed with flashes of violence and screams echoing through her skull.

She shivered at the cold sensations that flowed through her, a coldness that had nothing to do with the temperature.

The sound of voices brought the red head to a skidding halt at the corner of intersecting tunnels, wincing as the cuts on her bare feet tore open further. She gritted her teeth, biting back against the pain as she pressed herself against the tunnel wall. She craned her head to the edge of the tunnel, feeling the tickle of strands of hair along her neck and shoulder. There were two of them, guards loitering about, smoking and chatting.

Ranma cursed inwardly, herself more than this new obstacle. What did she think was going to happen? That she was going to get out clear and clean?

"_Yeah right, get real Saotome…"_ she scoffed, before sighing.

How long did she have?

How long till they notic-

An alarm suddenly blared through the tunnels.

Her eyes closed in silent dismay, pressing herself harder against the wall as muscles tensed throughout her body, pulling at neck and shoulders like angry claws tightening their grip on her. The two guards barely had time to blink as they came around the corner; Ranma slammed the tonfa into one, doubling him over as she moved after the second. A meaty fist slammed through the air, grazing the side of her face as she ducked sideways, slipping under the attack and springing up under his chin. Her fist smashed under his jaw. The guard staggered backwards with a roar of agony as teeth exploded against each other, blood spraying forth from between his lips in a pink mist, while Ranma hissed, her fist feeling like it had just hit a concrete wall, pain lancing through her knuckles.

"DIE YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

She whirled around, crimson tresses whipping around her like a halo of fiery red. She rolled out of the way as a naginata clanged against the ground, chips of rock erupting from the broken crevices the weapon left in the floor. Her leg lashed out at the first guard, and crashed into his ankle…..

…and didn't budge him one bit.

Blue orbs widened in shock, looking up with horror at the towering guard smiling cruelly back at her. She felt her throat dry suddenly.

"Did you really think a scrawny little girl like you could hurt a man like me?" he barked a harsh unintelligent laugh. "What could a weak little bitch like you do?"

Ranma bristled, with rage crashing through her limbs in rolling waves. She felt hairs on the back of her neck stand on end in anger, her fists clenching as she stared cold death at him.

"_Most girls don't have the ability to take the same amount of physical damage that most guys can. We're not weaker because of it, but it does mean we have to be smarter and more careful in a fight,"_

Ukyo's words suddenly became much more meaningful as she looked the guard over, realizing the gravity of the situation. 

Eye twitching, she lunged, faster than the man could blink. A high pitch, blood curdling shriek filled the tunnels as her hand closed around his groin with an iron grip, twisting and yanking, before smashing them back up again. Even with her small frame, she threw enough force behind the attack to slam him against the wall, snarling like a wild animal.

"There are _some_ advantages to being a girl." She oozed smugness as she started into his agonized terror filled eyes. "But don't you dare think that makes me weak!"

She let go of his of privates and as he sagged against the wall, clutching between his legs with tears of nauseating agony streaming down his cheeks, she clocked him across the face with the tonfa, watching with satisfaction as he went down like a sack of potatoes.

A grunt from behind twitched her ears warningly.

Without hesitation she whipped around and hauled the tonfa at the other guard. The butt of the weapon clunked against the man's forehead, freezing him in pace with his own naginata raised ready to strike leaving an angry red mark above the bridge of his nose as his eyes went wide, before rolling into the back of his head. His massive form went limp and collapsed backwards with a heavy thud.

"Pathetic," she sneered.

The red head turned at the sound of voices further back in the tunnel she'd come down. Her heart raced as she retrieved the tonfa and ducked down the tunnel the guards had been in; she wasn't going to let them take her again. Not now, not when she was so close to gaining the freedom she craved so badly.

It was so close she could almost taste it…

The tunnel stretched longer than she thought it would. It was a continuous length with no breaks, with no other tunnels branching off from it. Torches lined the wall every few feet, keeping the shadows at bay. Despite her frenzy addled mine, this didn't go beyond her notice. Why, she wondered, was this corridor lit so well when all the others were only lighted sparingly?

Ranma slowed to a jog and then to a slow walk a few seconds later as the tunnel suddenly came to an end. A door was embedded in the rock, painted a dark blue with the simple label printed across it.

_Vice Chairman's Office_

Ranma stared at the label for the longest time, rooted in place by the implications that it presented her. She licked her lips, pulse throbbing through her ears as a million thoughts streamed through her mind. None of them good. None of them nice. But why would they be? One of the men that had kidnapped her, possibly both of them could be behind the door in front of her…

She wrestled only for a second with her thoughts, before she gently eased the door open just far enough for her to slip into the darkened room. She eased the door close behind her before slipping into the shadows. Across the far side of the room monitors blazed with electronic light humming loudly as it spilled across the floor around the monitoring station. A high back chair was silhouetted against it and she knew without seeing - could sense - that the fat little bastard was there.

Ranma stalked through the darkness like a tiger on the hunt. She crossed the distance in seconds, never making a sound as she crept behind the chair, already she could hear the heavy frustrated breathing of the little troll.

"How could you have lost her!" he shouted into a walkie talkie. "She can't have gone far! FIND HER NOW DAMN IT!"

Ranma whipped the office chair around so fast the walkie talkie went flying from the man's fat fingers, scattering across the floor and into the darkness. The little man went to scream at the sight of the blue eyed, red headed demoness towering over him, only for her hand to clamp shut over his mouth while the other drove the end of the tonfa into his stomach. She struggled to hide the look of disgust she felt tugging at her features as he cried into her hand, spraying it with saliva.

"I'm gonna take my hand away, if you try to scream I swear I will rip your throat out you little toad! Do you understand me!" she snarled, blue orbs boring into terrified eyes, and only when he nodded his trembling head did she cautiously remove her hand from his mouth, wiping it on his shirt with disgust.

"W….w…what do you want!" he stammered, sweating profusely.

"One good reason why I _shouldn't_ kill you!" she growled.

His eyes widened at the sincerity in her tone. "If you kill me, you'll only provoke the Society into a large scale war against your kind! You'll just prove once and for all that you're all nothing but miscreants that need to be subdued and contained!"

"What is wrong with you morons? We're not animals for you to cage and train! Why are you doing all of this, what's the point of it?" Ranma grabbed him by the throat. "What did we ever do that was so bad that we deserve to be treated like animals!"

"This is how it has always been!" he snapped suddenly, regaining some measure of his arrogance even as he struggled to breathe. "The Society was founded to ensure that the power of Jusenkyo was never abused by anyone! Throughout the changing centuries countless warriors have tried to abuse the power of the springs, to use their curse forms for personal gain and glorification and we have protected the defenceless innocents every time. We have prevents wars that would devastate this planet. Imagine armies of phoenix warriors, or dragons or demons! Normal humans wouldn't stand a chance against that kind of power, so it is up to us! It is our sworn duty to protect the public!"

Ranma sneered, glaring silently at the little man with hate and rage flowing through her nimble body. She couldn't argue with that reasoning, imagining an army of Pantyhose Taro' running around unchecked, or Asura's for that matter. It was enough to send shivers through her soul. It was too horrifying to imagine, no conventional weapon would work against that kind of power.

Suddenly, the role of the Society seemed to make more sense. At least the original purpose of it, but she realized that over time the true purpose of the Society must have been corrupted by those in charge to the point that even the slightest of offences had become punishable. But the original purpose, of stopping warriors that would use the springs to their advantage made sense to her, back in a time when it was kill or be killed. A warlord with the power to transform into a monster would have rallied countless soldiers to his cause.

Of course there had to be someone to prevent that.

She shook her head. "That doesn't give you the right to subject people to torture!"

"It gives us every right!" he replied. "No one else will do it, so we have to! No matter what the cost!"

"How many people have I killed with my Jusenkyo curse? How much damage have I caused, eh? Stringing people along because my honour has me tied on who to marry is not the same as turning into a monster and massacring people! I _have honour!_ Those I've hurt just now is only in retaliation for _your_ attacks on me! For torturing me... for... Tell me. Who is the monster here?" she snapped. "What about Ryoga you little bastard! What did he do that was so bad that he deserved to be attacked like that!"

For the first time the Vice Chairman showed a brief flash of shame. "That was an accident! The attack was only meant to separate the two of you, but Kinnii took matters into his own hands, he wanted you dead. You should be thankful that boy got in the way, he saved your life!"

Ranma hauled him out of his chair with a terrifying screech, slamming him down on the console hard enough to crack the casing. She punched him hard in the face, blood gushing from his nose. "You murdering bastards! You say we're the ones that need to be contained and controlled but you let that raging monster of yours roam free! You hypocrite! He's the one that should be locked away, not us! Your stupid code doesn't justify what you bastards do!"

"If we had the jewel we wouldn't have to resort to such methods!" he cried desperately. "If you help us we'll leave you and your friends alone! We'll even remove their curses if you want us to!"

Ranma stared at him incredulously, rage seething behind her eyes.

"Are you insane!" she screeched. "_Why_ would I help you after everything I've been put through! I would rather die than ever help you! You will _NEVER _get that jewel! I am going to – "

Her voice trailed off as the Vice Chairman's eyes flicked sideways, glancing at something behind her with hope shining across them. A wave of unease washed through her, hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as another presence crept up behind her. Her upper lip curled angrily, grip tightening around the little man as the overwhelming murderous intent crashed upon her.

The world turned upside, spinning on itself as Ranma threw the little man away and sprung sideways a second before the high back office chair split apart and the monitoring console exploded in a shower of burning sparks. Monitors exploded, showering Ranma with glass that caught in her hair and sliced her hands legs as she came up in a crouch, glaring at Kinnii as smoke flowed around him, blood running in tiny streams down her legs in intersecting patterns.

She glanced towards the doorway, light from the tunnel beyond spilling into the room. The red head cursed herself for not noticing the giant entering the room; she was letting her anger get the better of her again…..there was no way he could move that quietly.

"I knew we should have chained you up. I told them…" Kinnii rumbled irritably, before grinning sadistically as he hefted his sword to attack. "At least I'll have the pleasure of breaking your legs!"

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this," Ranma growled.

Red hair whipping at her face, Ranma charged across the room, tonfa twirling in hand as she let loose a battle cry that mingled with Kinnii's own, his sword slicing up from the floor, air hissing around it. Ranma rolled awkwardly to side over her shoulder, tonfa lashing out at the giants legs ankles, but it was like a twig striking an iron pole. Kinnii didn't even so much as flinch as repositioned the sword, driving the point down on her. Ranma sprung away with one hand, grimacing as the blade nicked hip. She stumbled though and fell backwards as she landed a couple of feet away, pain spearing through her and crimson slowly dripping from beneath the ragged pants she wore.

The cut was deeper than she thought, she realized in annoyance.

Kinnii grinned viciously as he realized the same thing. "Maybe if you beg for your life I might go easy on you."

Ranma growled dangerously, wincing as she got back to her feet. "I'd rather die first you knuckle dragger!"

"That can also be arranged," he gave her a flat look.

The giant lunged across the room with a bellowing battle cry, his sword a spinning blur above his head. Ranma rolled sideways with a short shriek, the blade disappearing into the spot she'd been in.

Suddenly the fact that he was willing and eager to kill her was so very real.

He wasn't hesitating in the slightest.

She still had the advantage, he couldn't compete with her small stature and agility and neither could he use his strongest attacks in such an enclosed space like this. She however had no such limitations.

"Damn it!" Kinnii swore, trying to pull the blade free.

With a great heaving roar he ripped the sword free, the weight and force swung him off balance the giant growling and spitting with frustration. He whirled around charge, only to see Ranma's foot slam into the bridge of his nose. She heard something crunch beneath heel, a howl escaping the man's lips as he flew backwards across the ground, crashing into the wall behind him before settling into a crumpled heap.

Ranma landed in a crouch, smirking confidentally. "Moron. You never take your eyes off your opponent!" Movement to the side caught her attention and she turned to see the Vice Chairman edging towards the exit. She hauled her tonfa at him, watching it clock him in the back of the head, sending him face first into the ground. "Sit down you little troll! I'm not throu–!"

Her body froze without warning, tongue poised in mid sentence as a familiar sharp sting radiated from the side of her neck, her vocal cords paralysed. Her eyes widened, her body shaking with effort as she tried to move, but it didn't matter how hard she concentrated, her limbs ignored her mental pleas. Her body trembled with the effort, aware of the weight of the needle sticking from her neck.

A soft padding of careful steps drew close, a wave of dread and cold washing over the red head as the scent of sakura flowers caught her attention.

Yukino stepped in front of her, crouching down till she was at eye level, more needles protruding from between her fingers and a look of dark malevolent amusement filling her eyes and separating the corners of her mouth. Ranma felt real fear shoot through as she stared into the dark abyssal depths of the woman's terrifying gaze.

"You should be more mindful of your surroundings my dear." She sighed dramatically and wagged her finger disapprovingly at her. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to do something special for your next sess––"

Ranma surged forward, screaming at the pain that tore through her body and punched the woman in the face. Her legs went from under her and she hit the cold hard floor at the same time Yukino did, twitching with a smile of satisfaction across her face.

"You little _bitch!_" Yukino screamed.

Ranma didn't know if she wanted to cry of laugh with the satisfaction of finally hurting the awful woman, aware things would only get worse now…..

"I'm not going to break..." she gasped. "No matter _what_ you do..."

Eyes suddenly heavy, she felt the darkness closing in around her vision, slowly creeping from the edges, before it finally snapped shut around her consciousness, dropping her into the black terror of her mind…..

….

…

…

…

….

"Hurry up with that equipment gentlemen, I despise waiting," growled the merciless Yukino from the darkness.

"We're almost finished," replied an unknown male voice, quaking with fear.

Yukino hmphed loudly.

Ranma felt herself rising out of the sea of black she'd fallen into, like she was coming out of a deep sleep. She wondered how much time had passed she wondered as her eyes started to peel open again, the heavy fog of sleep stinking to her thoughts as she rose from the realm of mental oblivion. Mouth dry and her head pounding, light piercing the slit between eye lids and sending sharp shooting pains into her skull she groaned loudly. She could feel the restraints secured tightly around her ankles and wrists, even around her forehead, holding it perfectly in place with stiff pain shooting through her neck; but, it took her a few seconds to realize she was in a chair instead of the medical table she'd become so familiar with.

Eye lashes fluttering over dark blue gems, she slowly opened her eyes ignoring the pain the bright harsh light sent back through them. Yukino had turned and was gazing straight back at her, whatever grievances she had with the other people in the room forgotten in a flash.

Were it not for the anxiety and fear lancing through her, she would have smirked a the woman's nasty looking black eye.

As if sensing her thoughts, Yukino gave her a cruel look that did not bode well for the red head, a million and one fears rushing through her as she wondered what the woman planned to do to her.

"Good, you're awake at last," the woman smirked. Stubborn to the end Ranma struggled with the restraints, fear surging through her in waves. Yukino merely laughed. "You should know by now that that's useless my dear. Just to be safe though, we injected you with a very mild sedative to sap whatever strength you have. You may have noticed your limbs feeling sluggish."

The red head sneered inwardly; the sadist was right.

"What are you gonna to do to me!" Ranma demanded with a slight waver in her tone.

Yukino shook her head. "You'll find out soon enough. First I thought you might like to know that you broke that ape's nose. Yes, I thought you might enjoy that, Kinnii didn't of course but neither of us really cares what he thinks do we? If it had just been him that you had attacked, I might have even rewarded you."

The red head felt the corner of her eye twitch. "Only thing I want is to go home!"

"But it wasn't just him was it?" Yukino completely ignored her. "You attacked four guards and seriously injured one of them. Did you know you nearly killed that man little Ranma? He was barely breathing when the other guards found him and the other one you knocked out. You did quiet a number on his face with such a simple weapon, but that's what I expect from a little savage like you."

Ranma's eyes fell down and to the side as violent images of the apologetic guard flashed across her mind.

She muttered coldly under her breath: "He deserved it…"

"Did he now?" whatever amusement had been in the woman's eyes quickly faded, a hand lashing out to clamp around the girl's lower jaw, digging brutally into her cheeks till she was forced to look her in the eye. "Did he deserve to be beaten into a coma? Perhaps I should tell his wife and daughter that so they don't feel too devastated when they see his face smashed into a parody of his former self? Maybe you should be the one's to tell them?"

"If he didn't want to get what he deserved, he shouldn't have joined evil jerks like you and the toad!" Ranma hissed, knowing well that she would never be able to forget the spin chilling screams and cries he had made or what she had done to him, but right now, she wouldn't give this woman the satisfaction of knowing that.

Yukino held her gaze for the longest time, never wavering as cold hatred swirled around her eyes.

"We're ready ma'am," announced one of the other people in the room.

"Good, start it up!" With a sneer of disgust Yukino pulled a gag out of her pocket and popped into Ranma's mouth before the girl even had time to realize what it was, securing it more tightly than was necessary to the head rest of the chair. Ranma screamed obscenities into the gag, a muffled wail of indignation, pulling and jerking at the restraints till they started to cut into her flesh.

Behind the woman she could see several men and women rushing about with cables and boxes, clearing the area as something hummed with electricity flowing into it.

"Let's see how long you last," Yukino growled before slipping a pair of thick headphones over the red head's ears, plunging her into a world of silence with only the sound of her rushing blood pulsing through her ears. She could feel her throat vibrate with a shrill squeal as the sadistic woman taped open her eye lids, the air stinging her eyes till tears ran freely down her cheeks.

Yukino moved away, out of her line of sight, but she knew the woman was still there, she could feel her. Suddenly a large tv screen came to life only a few feet away, faint sounds beginning to trickle through the headphones. Ranma trembled with fear and anticipation, pulling desperately at the restraints, screaming into the jaw hurting gag wedged between her lips.

Somewhere, in some deep part of heart she could feel this was all coming to end…

One way…

… or another.

….

…

…

…

….

Acrid smoke hung in the air with stubborn persistence; broken glass scattered across the floor, most of it stained with a pinkish twinge of blood. Monitors cracked, the busted console sparking wildly as personnel flittered around with brooms and tool boxes, cleaning and making repairs as quickly as they could. Nervous chatter about what had happened only a few hours ago filled the room, each of them casting weary glances over at the Vice Chairman, who stood watching with a stormy look in his eyes.

How could one little girl cause so much chaos in such a short time?

Jusenkyo, he thought with a mix of reverence and distaste. So ancient and mysterious, so much about it lost to the turn of time and yet it was so as significant today as it had been when it was first created by the Ancients. What magic's had they wrought that made those cursed such magnets for chaos and mayhem? It was the one thing they all had in common, the uncanny knack to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; to be the centre of attention.

His thick stubby fingers rubbed at his aching nose, painkillers masking the agony of broken cartilage; the scent of blood still strong. He could still see the rage in her eyes so vividly, the vindictive intent of what she would have done had Kinnii not appeared when he had. For the first time he wondered if they hadn't made a mistake going after her. She was far more dangerous than he had given her credit for.

Kinnii had not been happy when he came to and it would only be harder to control his violent temperament from this point on.

Perhaps he considered thoughtfully, Kinnii would be better of spending some time as his _other self_ for a few days…

"Our little red haired kitten knows how to make a mess doesn't she?" he turned in surprise at Yukino's refined voice. "It's a pity her fear of cats is such a volatile condition. Were it not for that Cat Fu of hers, I believe I could have broken her much sooner."

"I didn't expect to see you anytime soon," he frowned. "You didn't kill her did you?"

"Of course not. The poor child is merely resting. I'm afraid it was all a bit too much for her to handle, however we will have the information we want very soon." she said with a strange look in her eye, something he could identify. "Sh–"

"Vice Chairman! We have a situation!" a guard shouted, cutting Yukino off as he came rushing into the room, face flustered and sweating. "Our scouts have reported several intruders matching those descriptions you gave us. They were spotted moving along the eastern ridge five minutes ago."

"How did they get this close without us knowing about it!" the Vice Chairman demanded, neck muscles bulging angrily.

The guard winced. "Most of the patrol teams were redirected to the surrounding area closest to the facility entrance when the prisoner tried to escape, in case she managed to make it outside. They must have made the majority of their approach during that time frame and evaded the sparse patrols we had in the area. I'm sorry Vice Chairman."

"Alert Kinnii, have him coordinate the defensive line!" he ordered. "Capture them if possible, if not than destroy them. They are unimportant in the grand scheme. We must not let them rescue the girl!"

"Yes sir," the guard saluted and then ducked out of the room in a rush.

"I'll go prepare also," Yukino announced suddenly. "You'll need all the help you can get if they manage to get past Kinnii. I swear they will not interfere with our plans. We have invested far too much in this project to have these…..barbarians ruin it all now."

The Vice Chairman could only nod, the deadly look of wrath in her eyes and tone was evident enough. He watched her glide from the room, before his mind became lost in the situation at hand. He knew they would eventually show up. He had expected them to show up sooner than they had. But not now, not when they were so close their goal.

He refused to let them win…

….

…

…

…

….

Gravel crunched beneath boots, loose rocks tumbling down the slopping paths behind the group of travellers, curious animals poking their heads from their burrows and hidden refuges to observe the group, only to disappear when they were sure they were in no danger. Even as they moved ever onward they felt the growing tension within in them, anxiously moving towards the battle that inevitably awaited them.

Ryoga unscrewed the cap of his canteen, sweat beading across his tightly knitted brow as he gulped down the cool refreshing liquid. Even as he replaced the lid and return the canteen to his belt he gazed around at the scenery around him, at the rocks carved by nature's patient relentless hand. He wasn't taking in the scenery though, not intentionally.

He was looking for watchers.

They had narrowly avoided several patrols already.

It had been hard to run and hide from people he knew he could easily beat just by himself, let alone with the others at his back. He felt stupid, running from cannon fodder, but he couldn't deny the logic of trying to avoid as much confrontation as possible, they had no idea what the Society would do to Ranma in a moment of panic and desperation if they thought they had no other options. Even still he felt the old Ryoga stirring restlessly beneath the surface of his mind; the reckless Ryoga that would have rushed head long into an inferno if it pissed him off enough.

It was hard enough concentrating on evading the enemy without having to struggle with his more irrational nature as well. He wanted pay back; he wanted it so badly he could taste it.

His back twitched, as if to remind him why.

As if he needed to be reminded; the constant surging of discomfort spreading along the length of the scar was reminder enough. The pain had retreated sure enough with Cologne's miracle working poultice, but it left his back feeling tight and tense, the scar constantly feeling as if it would split open with the slightest movement. Sleeping on the hard ground, despite his warm soft sleeping bag hadn't made it any easier either. He should have been used to it by now, but the truth was it didn't matter how many nights you spent on the ground, you never really got used to the hard unyielding earth.

"You ok Ryoga?" he looked up as Akane paused beside him.

He hesitated, brain momentarily shutting down as words failed him, staring into the bright concerned eyes of the young woman he felt so strongly about. He cursed himself, he should have been able to talk to her properly by now. He had known for nearly two years, had been through so much with her and the others and yet he still felt his chest tighten with uncertainties and nervousness whenever he was around her.

He frowned slightly in thought.

Strangely, she and Akari weren't the only ones he felt that way around anymore.

"Eh...I'm fine," he said finally, only to receive a doubtful look in return. "Really Akane, I'm fine."

"Well, don't push yourself too hard," she told him seriously. "Ranma needs us...Oh, I'm sorry Ryoga, that sounds so insensitive! I make it sound like that's the only reason why I'm concerned. I am worried about you though, you shouldn't be doing something like this after being injured so badly. What if you hurt yourself?"

"It's ok Akane, I'm fine I promise," he smiled reassuringly. "We've come a long way and I'm not going to let a little discomfort get in the way of rescuing Ranma. Not now, not when we're so close to finishing this."

Fear trickled into her liquid brown iris's. "What if they've done something to her..."

"Ranma will be fine. She knows how to survive and she's as stubborn as a mule. You know just as well as me what she's like," he pointed out.

"You must think I'm acting silly," she looked down in embarrassment.

Ryoga shook his head. "Not even a little. I...I know Ranma means a lot to you... so it's only natural that you would be worried. That's the kind of person you are."

"Thank you," she replied. "You're such a good friend."

He winced inwardly at that, his face a carefully controlled mask as he nodded slightly. "You don't need to thank me, real– hmmm?"

Ryoga cocked his head up slightly; high above them a shadow moved suddenly amongst the rocks, drawing his attention away as bits of crumbling gravel tumbled down the slightly sloped rock wall at the side of the path they walked. The shadow vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The young man blinked, green eyes sparkling against the sun. Maybe it was just a bird in its nest, he thought, yet even as he did, he felt a stirring of unease in the pit of his stomach; the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end like little spikes.

He turned from Akane, looking back down the way they'd came, then back towards the rest of the group moving ahead down the path where is disappear behind a wall on the other side where it turned into a ravine.

A perfect place for an ambush…

He swore under his breath.

"Ryoga…what is it?" Akane asked quietly.

"They know we're here! Come on!" He snatched her wrist and started to run after the others, dragging her along behind him.

Without warning, explosions erupted along either side of the walls above them, thunderous booms that sent rock and dirt blasting down into the confined path. Ryoga heard the others scream, saw them look up in paralyzed horror as an avalanche of boulders screamed down the walls towards them. Akane cried out as they watched their friends disappear into the falling rubble. Ryoga gritted his teeth as the shockwave barreled into them, hair whipping as his face as he turned, throwing his umbrella to the side and dove to the ground with Akane tucked beneath him, debris slamming into his back. Clouds of dirt swarmed around them, tiny shards of rock slicing exposed flesh as the rumbling roar of falling rocks shook the ground around them.

An eternity seemed to pass as they laid there, her warmth penetrating his thick clothing, small whimpers of terror and anguish escaping her lips. Ryoga felt rage burn his soul, images of the others disappearing beneath the rubble burned into his mind, the horror in their eyes as they watched rushing wall of rubble bury them beneath itself.

"–oga! Ryoga! Get up!" the frantic cries brought him back to the present, eyes peeling open to stare into the Akane's worried gems.

Without thinking, he sucked in a great lungful of air and dirt; his throat clogged in an instant. Rolling off the young woman he rolled on to his hands and knees, coughing and hacking violently. Even past his retching he heard the chorus of heavy feet rushing about them, surrounding them.

Ryoga sprung sideways, grabbing Akane around the waist and leapt above the cloud onto the ravine wall. The mountain air barreled past beneath them, blasting away the cloud that filled the trail and revealing the small army of uniformed men carrying an assortment of weapons, and the pile of rubble the others had been buried beneath. Ryoga's eyes swam with anger, imaging the other trapped beneath the boulders, their bodied mangled and broken beyond recognition.

"No….." Akane trembled in his arms at the sight of the pile, the same images filling her mind, tears of anguishing beading along the precipice of her eyes.

"Damn it!" he snarled.

"_Mauahahahahahahahahaha!_"

Rage simmering to a boil, Ryoga swung his gaze along the path, snarling as it settled upon the ugly giant Kinnii, his bellowing laugh of sadistic glee booming through the rocky maze of the mountains. He stood with his sword resting point first against the ground, hands clasped over the pommel and his hat casting a malevolent shadow across his eyes and the piece of gauze taped across the bridge of his bruised nose.

Ryoga felt a small surge of hope run through him, knowing immediately that the injury was Ranma's handy work. _"__Of course she wouldn__'__t give up so easily."_

"It seems the little one's fell without a fight, such a pity," the big man chuckled. "Oh well, at least I still have the two of you to play with!"

Eye twitching angrily Ryoga shifted protectively in front of Akane, careful of his precarious footing on the wall.

Kinnii hefted his sword up, grinning viciously. "Come on boy, show me what you've got before I finish you off once and for all!"

"My pleasure!" Ryoga roared.

The two warriors leapt from their spots with battle cries mingling with each other, muscles rippling along the lengths of their arms as they swung their weapons. They clashed in mid air, umbrella crashing against the side of the massive blade with a jarring clang that sent vibrations through the teenager's arms and shoulders as he knocked the sword of course. Kinnii snarled, the heel of his boot colliding with Ryoga's abdomen. Ryoga grunted with the impact, muscles bunching together to meet the attack, but even that didn't stop the full force of the hit.

The two warriors landed slightly apart, landing in defensive poses that lasted for the single space of a second before they attacked again. Ryoga ducked and spun under a horizontal slash of the blade, swinging his umbrella around with all the momentum he could put behind it. The umbrella slammed into the big man's hip with an audible thunk, tearing free a howl of pain from the giant. Ryoga leapt backwards again as the blade came screaming at him again, a sliver of hair sliced free by the cutting air pressure.

With several swings of his blade, Kinnii sent a trio of air pressure waves cutting through the ground, tearing huge rends through the hard rock as they raced towards the teenager. Ryoga slammed the end of his umbrella into the ground with a snarl and a split second before the waves reached him, the ground exploded out around him in a shower of sharp bombarding stone chips.

Without warning Kinnii's hand tore through the cloud of dirt and dust and grabbed him by the neck. Ryoga gasped as the powerful hand clamped around his throat before he could react, heaving him off the ground as though he were made of feathers. The umbrella fell free of his hands as they spasmed wildly, shooting up to pry the man's hand away as his lungs started to scream for air.

"This time I'll make sure you stay dead!" Kinnii snarled, face bleeding where rock shrapnel had torn through flesh, blood oozing from a particularly nasty wound in the corner of his eye were a fragment of stone peaked from the skin.

Ryoga's eyes widened as the man moved the sword so it was pointed at his stomach, a sadistic grin. Ryoga planted his feet into the man's stomach as hard as he could, but the man barely even twitched, the teenager's feet bouncing of the iron hard body. Vision blurring and darkening with each passing second, his mind shook with the thought of dying, of not being able to protect Akane, or save Ranma, or even help the others if they were still alive.

"Let him go!"

A rock the size of a man's fist crashed into the side of the giant's head. Kinnii cried out as rivets of blood streamed down the side of his face, instinctively letting go of his prey as he reared back, grabbing at his head in agony. Ryoga fell to the ground, coughing and hacking before looking up to see Akane on the wall with an arm full of rocks and furious look in her eyes.

"Serves you right!" the young woman yelled.

Kinnii snapped his head up, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits with rage burning across their malevolent depths. "You'll pay for that you little bitch!"

Akane's angry bravado faded quickly as the man hefted his sword over his head, snarling through tightly clenched teeth, eyes twitching. Ryoga was already up and running, whipping his belt out, ki surging through it as it snapped taut into its blade like length. Akane froze where she was, rocks tumbling from her arms as the blade started to descend, air pressure gathering around it…

"DIE!" Kinnii roared.

…when a pair of hands shot out of the ground and clamped around his ankles, pulling his feet from under him. Kinnii cried out in surprise as he flipped head over ass to the ground, landing with a heavy crash amongst the pile of rubble his men had brought down with their explosions. With an extravagant flare Mousse and the others surged up from beneath the mass of small boulders and rubble, clothes torn and dirtied, scratches trickling small amounts of blood.

Ryoga and Akane stared in disbelief, as though they were staring at a group of ghosts.

"That's impossible! You all should have been crushed like the insect you are!" Kinnii snarled as he recovered his wits.

Mousse barked an arrogant laugh, arms folded in front of him. "It'll take more then a few crummy rocks to kill us!"

Kinnii growled, a vein throbbing in his forehead. He turned to his men. "Get them you fools!" he roared.

In the space of a second the small army of Society soldiers gathered around the group, surrounding them on all side, blocking the process and the escape route, lining the tops of the ravine above Akane. Ryoga and the others tensed, each of them silently counting and sizing up the men. They'd certainly had worse before, but now wasn't the time to get cocky. Ryoga's attention was still primarily on Kinnii, letting the festering wound of injured pride flare with renewed hate. He wasn't going to back down now.

"Hey…" Ukyo said suddenly, surprised and uncertain at the same time. "Where's Cologne and Mrs. Saotome…..?"

Only then did Ryoga realize the two women were missing…

….

…

…

…

….

The passageways glistened with cold diamond like condensation, dripping down the rough magma eroded walls, firelight dancing across the countless beads of water. Were this under any other situation, Nodoka thought she would have found it all amazingly beautiful, but now was not the time to be admiring the natural beauty of the place her _daughter_ was being held prisoner in. She tsk'd at the oppressive darkness that pressed in from every direction between each set of fiery torched; her cloth wrapped blade clutched between arms and shoulders as she moved with her trade mark conservative grace, the folds of her kimono fighting back the cold and rippling gently with each movement.

She paused at an intersection branching off in three different directions sighing wearily before glancing back over shoulder, wondering where Ms. Cologne had disappeared off to?

The housewife shuddered as the image of the descending avalanche of boulders had screamed down upon her. Were it not for Cologne's quick reflexes pulling her along without warning out of the way she would have been crushed beneath it all. She had wanted to go back and make sure the group of teenagers were ok, but Cologne assured her they'd be fine, and now the old woman was gone as well. She'd been separated from the old woman shortly after entering the cave system, losing her in the twisting dark system of tunnels and passage ways. .

The Society's base of operations was a veritable labyrinth of twists and turns, descending and ascending tunnels that disappeared into yawning maws of absolute darkness. How, she wondered did they ever find their away around this place? It must take them hours to get anything done.

Despite Cologne's assurances, she couldn't help but worry about the young ones back on the surface; inwardly though, she hoped they gave that giant brute exactly what he deserved. She knew she didn't need to worry about them; they were all more than capable of taking care of themselves, but the mother in her couldn't help herself. It wasn't fair that one's their age should be caught up in affairs such as these. She knew that path of martial arts was something they all sought willingly, but could they have foreseen how greatly it would affect their lives?

They weren't children anymore though; their lives were their own to do with as they wished. For better or worse, their decisions had turned them into warriors of unparallel skill each in their own way. Strong, confident and caring. Each was willing to help a friend in need. She was so happy to know that Ranma had such good friends, she just wondered if Ranma realized it though.

A cold chill ran down her spine suddenly, hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as the soft tapping of steps echoed out of the darkness from one of the three tunnels. It was slow and steady, unhurried and confident, and coming closer. Nodoka turned to face the tunnel directly a head of her, a shape starting to emerge from the black abyss. Her arms tightened unconsciously around the sheath of her katana, seeking a small measure of comfort in the protection the weapon offered her. A woman stepped into the circle of light that stretched around the intersection, adorned in a beautiful kimono, patterns of sakura flowers flowing up the front and sides and down the lengths of the arms. Silken glossy black hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, lips painted the blood red lipsticks and jade green eyes sparkling against the light.

Nodoka didn't miss the white sheathed katana the woman grasped firmly either.

The woman reminded her of a Japanese Princess straight out of a story; or would have were it not for the ugly darkness that filled her eyes.

"You must be Ranma's mother," the woman noted, coming to a halt several feet away. "I now understand where Ranma's beauty comes from."

"That's very kind of you to say," Nodoka said with a pleasant smile splitting her face that failed to carry in her tone. "I'm Nodoka Saotome; and you would be?"

"Lady Yukino Matsomuyri," the woman replied calmly.

"It's very nice to meet you, _Ms_ Matsomuyri," her tone and choice of words suggested otherwise. "Now…if you would be so kind as to take me to my daughter. I would be very appreciative."

A cold chill swept through the tunnels, swirling around the two women as they stared dangerously into each other eyes, hardened and driven with determination. Nodoka refused to falter in this woman's presence; she refused to appear weak, knowing that it would be the end of her. The woman before her was no delicate flower; she was dangerous as fire and as deadly as a finely sharpened blade. She knew instinctively, that this woman wasn't someone to be underestimated.

A small stab of worry began to poke at the back of her mind… Perhaps Ranma was in more danger than she had thought….

The woman across from her smiled in irritated amusement. "It would seem your daughter has also inherited your disrespect."

Unfazed Nodoka simply smiled. "Forgive me, but I find it hard to respect people that kidnap my child for silly little reasons. Now please, I would like to see my daughter. I am not a woman prone to violent means, but…" her dark blue eyes turned as hard as cold steel. "I'm not entirely opposed to it either."

Yukino, with seething hatred burning in the her gaze, slowly drew her katana from its sheath with a musical ring issuing forth. "You do not want to pick a fight with me."

"You leave me no choice if you're not going to take me to my daughter," Nodoka replied as she grimly removed the sheath of her own and threw it aside without a second thought. "Ranma is counting on me…"

Yukino sneered. "I wouldn't be too sure about that…"

With blinding speed the noble woman sprang across the distance between them, sword flashing against the blazing light of the torches. Nodoka barely side stepped the attack, cold steel slicing clean through her kimono as it flared wildly behind her. She spun awkwardly, wobbling as the weight of the sword threw her off balance as she brought it up to block the attack she knew was coming. Sparks flashed as steel crashed against steel, the devoted housewife stumbling backwards in surprise, till she crashed into the wall. Nodoka spun sideways, Yukino's blade slicing down the wall with a grating screech.

"Not bad." A sadistic grin spread across Yukino's face as she slowly advanced, sword gleaming menacingly. "But how long can you keep avoiding me?"

Yukino leapt suddenly, only to balk in surprise as Nodoka's blade crashed stubbornly against hers, bringing her to a jarring halt as Nodoka glared across the length of her blade arms trembling against the sheer force being pressed against her. Fire light danced across her sapphire orbs, rage boiling within their dark depths.

She growled ominously. "For as long as I have to!"

…._**To Be Continued**_

**A/N:**

Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter so far, and as always will stick around to read the next.

I know there are readers out there that don't like the idea of Nodoka fighting, but frankly there's a lot of evidence in the manga to suggest that she has had some form of training in the past or does have at the very least some instinctive skill when it comes to fighting. In the manga and anime when she nearly cuts Ranma with the sword when she unsheathes it, she says "I'm sorry, I'm not very good with swords," not, "I don't know how to use swords."

On top of this she is able to follow Akane around without alerting anyone to the fact that she hasn't left and she's is capable of sneaking up on some of the best fighters in the manga, including the dangerous Ryu. If this doesn't suggest that she is competent enough to handle herself in a fight than I don't know what does, especially in the Ranma ½ universe where practically anything can be made into a form of fighting. And frankly a Japanese housewife doesn't carry around a functional katana with her if she doesn't know how to use it.

If anyone has a problem with this, well than, that's too bad really…..

Anyway, the next chapter shouldn't be too far away, a week or so at least. I'm not gonna rush Materia though, because I can use the rest _


	11. Chapter 11: The Delicate Touch Pt 4

_**A/N: **_

_**Ok, here we go, chapter 11.**_

_**This chapter hasn't been edited by Materia Blade as impatience has gotten the better of me. For that I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless and chapter 12 wont be that far behind either.**_

_**Prepare yourselves because this can be an exhausting chapter to read, its long and its mostly fighting. I've tried to get as many of the grammar mistakes as possible that I could find and tidy it up as best I could. A lot of this was finished in the cause of an all night marathon consulting with a couple of friends about the fighting and such from a general perspective. Some – maybe a lot of you – might not agree with how the fighting plays out, but frankly I've reached the point with this story arc where I just couldn't care anymore and simply tried my best and stuck to my view of things. Keep in mind that unlike the anime, the character's abilities in this aren't as clean cut and dry in this like they are in the manga and anime. They're tired and some are hurt, and that affects their strength and skill as far as I'm concerned.**_

_**As I said I tried my best and I hope you'll enjoy it regardless. I just want to get this story arc over so I can get the story moving again. Part of me is glad I did the Delicate Touch Arc, but another part of me wants to kick my ass for it.**_

_**So without further ranting and raving, I present you with the second last part of the Delicate Touch arc.**_

_**Please enjoy…**_

Chapter 11

_The Delicate Touch Pt 4_

_Blood, Sweat and Tears?_

Ryoga snarled as waves of soldiers came at him from every direction, twisting around flashing blades that descended with murderous intent. His back screamed in protest, the scar stretching as tightness ached through the hastily healed wound, tiny razor blades of agony threatening to rip him apart against the sudden movements. He stumbled backwards, waving his umbrella back and forth battering weapons away and shattering hands and other body parts that got in the way.

The soldiers dropped like flies, one after another.

The teenager dashed backwards into an open area, chest heaving heavily, struggling to catch his breath, as Shampoo suddenly flew past him.

Purple tresses billowing behind her, the Chinese girl dove head long into the sea of men; she lashed out with her Chui's, the mace-like weapons crumpling soldiers left and right as she spun and twisted with the grace of a cat. There was over five thousand years of merciless Amazon women's fire and determination blazing like an inferno across her dark eyes, barely pausing as she moved from one opponent to the next.

She turned and glanced up as several men fell from above, swords raised and battle cries roaring past their lips. Muscles tensed in her arms and legs, grip tightening around the shafts of the Chui's, when the weighted ends of several chains smashed into their heads. Shampoo whirled around almost angrily as the men dropped like boneless bags of flesh behind her, to see Mousse already reeling the chains in and smiling; pleased with himself, Shampoo's cheeks flushing pink with annoyance and just a little of something else…

The near sighted martial artist whipped the chains around as soldiers streamed at him from behind, the speed and force of the interlocked pieces of iron screamed around and collected everyone in their path, doubling them over like rag dolls and sweeping clean a large swath of ground. Spears and darts flew past his head, more embedding in the ground between his legs as he released the chains and a pair of large bladed war fans slid from his sleeves.

Mousse disappeared into the streams of soldiers with a hawk-like cry; he didn't even see Ukyo charge past him, her oversized spatula cleaving through the air as she battered aside soldiers and weapons alike, scooping others up with the server end and sending them flying with heaving cries. Her long brown hair whipped at her face as she turned to block and parry, spinning around the newest attacker and slamming the butt of her spatula into the small of his back. Her gaze flicked to several more men charging towards her; shuriken spatula's appeared between her fingers and with the flick of her wrist each one of the men collapsed with shurikens embedded in their shoulders.

Even as more soldiers came at her she saw Konatsu appear above her, the male kunoichi sprinting along the side of the ravine wall with weapons biting at his heels, cracking against the hard rock, sending stony chips bursting into the air. The soldiers chasing after him bellowed and howled in frustration as the ninja disappeared again in a burst of smoke. Without warning one of them screamed and collapsed limply into the ones in front of him. The others whirled around in shock; Konatsu was there, his Takemitsu poised across his steely gaze. Weapons reflecting light flashed towards him, slicing through his exposed body like a hot knife through butter, before it exploded in another blast of smoke. The soldiers coughed and hacked, frantically waving their arms through the cloud to clear it faster. They balked with surprise and confusion when the smoke disappeared, finding their weapons embedded in a log.

The famous "Ninja Replacement" technique!

Konatsu reappeared amongst them, along with several copies behind each of the soldiers. The men barely had time to even blink. They lurched forward, agony screaming from their throats as the Takemitsu lashed them across the back, the bamboo sword cutting fabric and skin. One by one the soldiers fell in a jumble of limbs and tangled bodies, eyes wide and unseeing as they slipped into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness, even as the copy ninjas vanished and the original was left gazing over the fallen with satisfaction. He tilted his head in the direction of a furious roar, spotting Akane a second later.

The youngest Tendo moved with the ferocity of a tiger, her deceptively small frame ducking and weaving through the groups of men, groups of soldiers piling up all around her. All her training was put to the test as she delivered bombardments of devastating blows, the grown men crumpling like paper bags under the force of her fists, the world turning upside down around them as she hauled them up over her shoulder and slammed them into ground with incredible force.

More and more soldiers pressed in around her from all sides, the others whittling down the others around them. Sweat poured off the sides of her face, eyes flicking from soldier to soldier trying to stay a head of them, watching their movements and their weapons.

She jerked to a stop suddenly, pressed against the ravine wall. She turned around in horror, not even realizing where she'd been pushed towards, even as the remaining men formed a semicircle around her, sneering angrily.

"Akane!"

Everyone glanced up, to see Ryoga suddenly falling out of the sky with his index fingers pointed to the ground. "_Bakusai Tenketsu!_"

The bandanna wearing martial artists landed between Akane and the men. His fingers embedded in the rock, cracks shooting out from around the holes. At first nothing happened, the soldiers holding their breath suddenly sighing in relief…

…And then the everything around them exploded.

….

…

…

…

….

The area was deceptively quiet and peaceful amongst the forest, laying at the base of the enormous mountain in its shadow, with clouds drifting lazily across the sky. The sudden rumble that washed over the area came without warning, echoing across the land for miles around as a pillar of dirt shot up from one of the ridge lines.

One of the men came to a sudden halt and jerked his head up in surprise, frowning at the sight.

"This way," he called to the other man a few paces behind. "We need to hurry, I have a bad feeling about this…"

….

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…

…

….

Inside the mountain it was as if the world was trying to turn the Society's base inside out. The roaring rumble that that tore through the earth ripped great fissures in the walls, ceilings and along the floor. Tunnels collapsed, some imploded under the incredible force they were assaulted with. The sleeping volcano groaned and screamed, steam blasting up through cracks with just as much explosive force. Soldiers and workers alike fled through whatever escape route they could find; others took cover and prayed to all the gods that the base wouldn't collapse in on them.

The vibrations ripping through the earth seemed to last for an eternity, the constant rumbling unrelenting. Finally though, after the minutes crawled by at a snail's pace, the trembling started to settle, the mountain calming down as those still inside released a prolonged breath, relieved that they were still alive.

The Vice Chairman though, could only stare in horror at the destruction.

How could things have gone this bad so quickly?

His mind raced, trying to think of a solution.

He turned and paused as he glanced up at one of the few remaining security feeds that showed Yukino engaged in a battle with another woman. Of course, he thought almost excitedly; Yukino would win and she could help him get their prize out of here. Just because they had lost the base didn't mean they had to give up the goal. There was, after all dozens of other bases – most admittedly smaller than this one – scattered across the country.

He could even escape back to China and disappear…

The fat little man nodded to himself, confident and sure of his plan; sure that it couldn't possibly fail and ran from the room.

….

…

…

…

….

Everyone coughed and hack, grabbing on to whatever purchase they could find as the mountain shook and heaved at the shockwaves rippling through it. The cloud of dirt was collected by the barreling winds and blown away as if by a powerful breath.

The group of Nerima martial artists struggled to their feet, dirt tumbling from their hair and clothes and bursting from their mouths with ragged coughs.

At the center of the blast Ryoga stood breathing heavily, his shirt clinging by mere threads to his sweat glistened body, covered in countless bloody cuts, and Akane protected behind him. The ground beneath them had turned into a large crater, larger than any his _Bakusai Tenketsu _had ever created before; even beyond the crater fissures stretched out from the rim. It was even bigger than the one he had created when he'd used _Shishi Hokodan _against the Brotherhood.

All around them soldiers laid sprawled across the ground and up the sides and over the edges of the crater. Even beyond that the rest of the soldiers laid unconscious at or around the feet of the fighters they'd attacked, laying amongst the ones already knocked out cold.

"Ryoga…..are you alright!" Akane asked, trembling slightly at the sight of him and destruction around them.

"I'm fine, just a couple of scratches is all," the teenager replied, though inwardly he knew that was bordering on a lie.

The breaking point training had made him monstrously tough, more so than he already had been, but being at the center of that blast had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit.

"Ryoga watch out!"

The teenager snapped his head up as a shadow fell across him, blinking a couple of times until Kinnii's gigantic frame filled his vision, the giant descending rapidly with the sun refracting off the length of the wicked sword. Ryoga clapped his hands up a split second later, stopping the blade a hairs width from his forehead, the ground around them fracturing from the impact. His face reddening with strain and effort as the taller fighter snarled and pressed down even more. Ryoga growled, feeling the edge of the blade lightly kiss the flesh of his forehead, cold shivers rippling through his body and the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"I'm going to enjoy cutting you open boy!" Kinnii's eyes flashed with irrational unquenchable rage.

Ryoga, muscles bulging sneered and pushed with all his strength against the blade, moving it up slowly but steadily, his arms trembling. "I won't be beaten by the likes of you!"

The teenager's arms snapped up with a sudden surge of strength and threw the giant off balance. Kinnii stumbled backwards, his arms flailing wildly as he recovered his footing and swung the blade around. Ryoga spun at the same time, whipping free the belt around his waist and snapping it taut. The ki hardened cloth sword smashed against the flat of the blade, battering it away before grabbing Akane and jumping out of the crater. Kinnii leapt after him, sword spinning in one hand as Hibiki turned parried another strike.

The giants speed surprised him; it was nothing compared to Ranma's but then again there were few martial artists that could boast the level of speed the red head was capable of. He ducked and twisted under the blade as it cleaved the air around him, ignoring the burning pain shooting through his back and struggling to stay ahead of the giant. Ryoga leapt sideways as the blade crashed against the ground. He ripped loose several of his bandannas as fast as he could, letting his ki flow into the cloth and feeling the fabric harden. Kinnii sneered and leapt after him; Ryoga sent the bandanna shurikens soaring through the air like black and yellow buzz saws.

Kinnii didn't even slow as his sword sliced through the lot of them in the space of a second.

"You're childish toy's are useless against me!" Kinnii snarled.

Ryoga parried another blow, twisting the blade away from him as he spun past the sword and slammed his other fist into the giants face, crushing the man's bandaged nose beneath his powerful fist. Kinnii reared back, falling out of the air as he howled in agony, fresh blood spilling out from his nose and down his mouth and chin.

"I don't need any _toys_ beat you!" Ryoga growled, landing in a crouch.

The words were barely out of his mouth before the back of Kinnii's fist crashed into the side of his face. Ryoga was lifted off the ground like he was made of straw, pain screaming through his face. He sailed through the air and slammed bodily into the ravine wall with a sickening crack.

"Ryoga!" Akane cried out.

Kinnii was up and charging as Ryoga struggled to center himself, the world spinning around him and his head throbbing. Kinnii whipped his sword around the blade tearing a ret in the ground as he brought it to bear. Ryoga was climbing to his feet when Kinnii was suddenly on top of him roaring like a rabid beat; terror surged across the teenager's eyes, drawn immediately to the deadly blade and the knowledge he couldn't parry or dodge the attack he knew was coming.

"Die you filthy insect!" Kinnii bellowed…

…As Mousse dropped out of the sky and slammed his sandal mounted talons into Kinnii's chest. Clothing tore like paper, six red gashed clawing down the giant's chest in even rows.

The sword wielding maniac staggered backwards, blinking wildly as Shampoo leapt over Mousse and slammed her Chui's into him, the Chinese girl screamed furiously.

He wrenched his blade around, slicing through the air but that's all it hit; Shampoo leapt backwards as Ukyo came charging at him, her long brown hair billowing behind her, strands whipping at her face as her oversized spatula crashed down over his head. Stars exploded across the man's visions, darkness flickering at the edges as the Okonomiyaki chef brought the spatula around for another attack, sun light glinting off the edges.

"Ukyo watch out!" Konatsu cried.

It was too late.

Kinnii kicked her savagely in the abdomen, grinning viciously as the spatula flew from her limp fingers and her eyes widened in agony as the air was forced out of her lungs in an explosive breath.

"Stupid children!" Kinnii snarled, wrenching Ukyo up by her long mane of hair. "You're nothing!"

He laughed and threw the girl aside like she was nothing more than a piece of trash, his booming laughter echoing off the ravine walls.

"Ukyo!" Konatsu's eyes were wide with horror as he watched his beloved chef slump to the ground coughing and gasping.

Ryoga swore under his breath, he hadn't expected Kinnii to be so strong. Not strong enough to last this long against all them. After all Ranma had defeated him so easily; but, he reminded himself, she'd had the benefit of having cold water to drop him in. None of them had ever been forced into a drawn out fight with him.

"He is very skilled," Mousse admitted grudgingly.

Ryoga hissed. "No he's not! It's just that his body is so tough it can take as much of a beating as mine can, and there's no skill to his attacks either, it's just that they're so destructive!"

"That doesn't change the fact that we can't hurt him," the Chinese boy shot back heatedly.

He was right about that, Ryoga thought, but he wasn't about to admit defeat just yet, not after they had survived against Herb and Saffron and all the other enemies they'd faced in the last couple of years. No, he refused to fail; there was too much hanging on the line.

Kinnii grinned at the sight of them, a dark ominous and completely malevolent predatory grin. "What's wrong boys! You're not afraid are you!"

He swept the blade across the ground, the earth splitting and heaving forward in a rolling wave of shattered rock lurching through the air. Ryoga and Mousse leapt sideways, rolling away from each other, bombarded even still by the shower of sharp fragments, slicing easily through clothes and skin, sending trickling trails of blood dribbling down their flesh. Ryoga was about to hit the ground with his breaking point technique when a large clump of rock caught him hard in the side of the head with a resounding thwack, pitching him sideways.

"Now you die!" Kinnii laughed, his blade rearing back.

Without warning Shampoo slammed into the giant from the side, sending the great lump of muscles tumbling sideways with an irritated snarl.

"No forget Shampoo!" the girl shouted angrily.

Kinnii turned and slammed the blade down on her, but the purple haired girl was faster, leaping up and landing on the blade as it buried itself in the ground. She smirked, her soft delicate features turning cool and hard.

He sneered at her; lips curling back to reveal his tightly clenched teeth. "I'll teach you to mock the Cult of the Muscle Sword!"

Shampoo leapt as he ripped the sword free of the rocks. Her Chui's screamed through the air, whipping around and smashing him in the side of the head, a satisfied grin splitting the girl's face at the direct hit. Kinnii staggered, but only for a second. Before Shampoo could blink he was whipping his sword around again with a bellowing roar. Konatsu appeared behind the giant and smacked the bamboo sword across the backs of his legs and driving the man to one knee. The ninja sheathed the bamboo blade and leapt on to the man's back, fingers tightening around Kinnii's ears and wreathing his head back as his feet pressed between the giant's shoulder blades.

"You'll pay for hurting Miss Ukyo!" Konatsu hissed into his ear.

The ninja, infused with rage and hate suddenly pushed every ounce of strength he had into his effeminate legs, and smashed the giants head into the ground with the force of a small explosion, sending pieces of rock flying in every direction. Konatsu leapt away from the oversized fighter, flipping backwards with long ebon hair whipping around him as he landed with practiced feminine grace beside Ukyo.

As he watched the ninja tend to the Okonomiyaki chef, Ryoga couldn't help but feel slightly cheated of his revenge against the hulking swordsman. His back twitched with an unsatisfied ache, longing to extract payment from the giant; for both himself, and Ranma, but now that chance had been taken away from him. He sighed under his breath, cursing himself for being so slow; but, on the other hand at least the monster had been defeated.

"Ryoga, we should proceed," Mousse pointed out.

Giving the fallen swordsman one last glance, Ryoga nodded. "L–"

Kinnii suddenly reared back on to his knees with an explosive roar that thundered across the ravine, each of the teenagers turning at once with shock etched into their faces.

"You have got to be kidding!" Ryoga hissed.

"I'll kill all of you!" Kinnii roared, rage burning like an inferno across his eyes. "I will not be humiliated by a bunch of children!"

He snatched up the sword and whirled around with the blade cutting through the air. Konatsu ducked at the last moment, strands of hair flying into the air the sword sliced them free. The ninja reared back ready to fight, hand going to the pouch of ninja stars at his hip…

…when the flat side of Kinnii's blade screamed around and slammed into the side of his face.

"Konatsu!" Ukyo screamed as the cross dressing ninja's limp body flew through the air, limbs flailing like a boneless fish to crash in a heap several feet away, blood trickling down the side of his face

"Ukyo watch out!" Akane shouted.

The chef turned in time to side step the descending blade, covering her face as stone chips flew towards her eyes from the cracked and pulverized ground. Ukyo leapt sideways and rolled next to her spatula, grabbing up the giant weapon and whipped around to parry another strike. Kinnii snarled in frustration, drawing back for another attack when Akane suddenly appeared directly under the monster of a man's chin and slammed her opened palm into the man's jaw. He reeled from the blow, vibrations racing through his body in surges of pain as lower and upper teeth exploded against one another.

"You bitch!" Kinnii snarled.

Akane barely had time to blink before the pommel of the sword slammed down on her head. Stars exploded in her eyes, agony lancing through her as she pitched forward at the same time the giant slammed his knee up into her much smaller body. Akane couldn't even scream there was no air left in her lungs as she crashed backwards into Ukyo.

"Akane!" Ryoga watched, eyes flicking back and forth between the dark haired girl and the imposing monster, emotions of fear and hate playing across his eyes as they shifted from one to the other. His body shook with the rage that grip it, watching the girl groan in pain. At last his enraged gaze rested on the giant. "You bastard you'll pay for that!"

With Mousse close behind him and Shampoo falling into place beside the near blind martial artist, Ryoga charged at the giant with rage screaming from his lips. Kinnii turned, facing them head on as Ryoga flew at him with his fist drawn. The teenager ducked as the swordsman slashed through the air at him and lunged, fist slamming into the man's stomach with enough force to bring down a house. Mousse flew over the giant, chains whipping out from his oversized sleeves and wrapping around the man's wrists, pulling them and the sword up and back as the young man landed behind him. Kinnii looked up in time to see Shampoo dropping from the sky, a black speck against the sun at first, one that quickly took shape and smashed one of her Chui's into his head.

Ryoga attacked again, slamming punch after punch into the overgrown fighter with as much force as he could manage. Kinnii grunted and howled with each punch, feeling the hits exploding through his body like sledge hammers, trying to grit his teeth, but the teenager kept on punching, sweat flying from his body in sprays.

"Hurry up Ryoga!" Mousse shouted, struggling to hold the chains in place. "I can't hold him for much longer!"

"Just! Give! Up!" Ryoga screamed.

"NO!" Kinnii roar, kicking Ryoga backwards and snapping his arms back around and pulling Mousse off his feet. He turned around and back handed the Chinese boy in the side of the head, knocking him into the ground with the force of a pile driver. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shampoo charging at him and whipped around again, sending one of the chains flying at her. The girl didn't have time to dodge; the chains wrapped around her body over and over, pinning her arms to her side. Kinnii snarled "You should learn your place girl!"

"Shampoo kill you!" the girl screeched stubbornly

Ryoga looked up in time to see the giant wrench the girl off her feet, swinging the bound Amazon around and sending her crashing hard into the ground dozens of feet away.

"Now for _you!_" Kinnii snarled, glaring over his shoulder at the young man.

"You want me, come and get me!" Ryoga growled.

The two slowly circled each other, both covered in cuts and darkening bruises as they sized each other up once more, taking into account new injuries. Ryoga knew the big guy had to be hurting, had to be getting close to his limit; surely.

At the same time they lunged. Ryoga ducked away from the blade, letting the cool metal scream past his exposed flesh before popping back up and driving a fist into the man's stomach with as much force as possible. Kinnii doubled over, air whooshing from his lungs. Ryoga punched him again, this time across the face and threw the giant backwards on to his ass.

Kinnii didn't move again; his chest rose and fell rapidly, fingers twitching around the hilt of his sword.

Ryoga sighed in relief, resisting the urge to fall backwards on his own butt.

Bent forward and breathing heavily, Ryoga didn't see Kinnii get up until the shadow fell over him. His skin tingled with the presence of danger and the young man leapt backwards, landing awkwardly and landing on his ass as the sword crashed down on where he'd been standing. He looked up in disbelief at the swordsman, one eye rapidly blackening where he'd just been hit with a punch that could pulverize concrete. Ryoga didn't know if he should be horrified or impressed.

"Your pathetic attacks are nothing!" Kinnii spat a glob of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Ryoga stared at him in a mix of injured pride and disbelief, knowing he only had one card left to play to end this fight now…

…He pulled himself up, letting his head hang and his shoulders slump, he drew around him memories of hurt and humiliations, despair and unhappy thoughts that left him cold inside.

"You made a big mistake Kinnii," Ryoga said with hollow emotions, eyes darkening and glazing over.

Kinnii sneered. "What mistake!"

Ryoga snapped his gaze up. "You should have taken me out first! _SHISHI HOKODAN!"_

For a second, a vacuum seemed to absorb all the sound around them. The glow of the pale blue ball of ki pulsing between the young man's hands as all his depression ki flowed into it. Then it blasted forth and barreled into Kinnii at point blank range. The explosion was deafening, rolling over the mountain, sending shudders through the earth as dirt and rock was thrown once more into the air.

Ryoga felt the strength flood from his body as the blast of energy dissipated, arms slumping to his sides and dropping on one knee, supporting himself on weak arms as he breathed heavily. A small warm glow of victor ignited inside of him and soon, he realized it would blaze like raging fire.

"_It's not over yet,"_ he thought wearily. _"Still gotta rescue Ranma and get outta here."_

With a tired sigh he pushed himself up straight, and nearly swore when he saw Kinnii, covered from head to toe in varying singe marks and fresh bloody cuts and scraps rising once more amongst the clouds of dust and dirt, leaning on his blade for support. Ryoga shook his head slowly, as if to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't real. It wasn't possible that the monster could still be standing after taking a point blank _Shishi Hokodan_.

Kinnii sneered hatefully at him, eyes wild. "You won't beat me! I won't allow it! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

The giant raised the sword above his head, its massive length bouncing rays of light around its wielder.

Ryoga's eyes widened, memories of the last time he'd seen this flashing through his mind.

"NO!" He shouted.

"Feel the wrath of the Cult of the Muscle Sword!" Kinnii roared.

Ryoga could only watch at the swordsman spun the blade with increasing speed till the blade was just silver blur. The ground rumbled and shook, heaving and screaming in protest. Chunks of earth were ripped free of the mountain and drawn up by the powerful suction of the attack. Ryoga watched as bigger chunks were torn lose, turning his attention around to the other as they struggled to find their footing and run. He couldn't leave them though, he couldn't leave Akane. But neither could he get to her as the ground rolled beneath his feet and threw him backwards, smashing him down on a stubborn boulder that pressed agonizingly into his scar.

He screamed at the pain that exploded across his back

Darkness flickered at the corners of his vision, his mind spinning and the world turning around him. He saw, through pain wracked eyes boulders flying around and dropping with pulverizing force. Mousse appeared by his side and pulled him to his feet, his back protesting with searing pain. His legs nearly buckled beneath him, the air around them roaring with boulders whipping about. He could see Akane struggling to move Ukyo and Konatsu, and Shampoo was still where she had landed, struggling with the heavy chains binding her body in place.

All the while, Kinnii was at the center of it all, howling with victorious laughter. "Die you insects! DIE!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth did a giant boulder start screaming towards them. Ryoga felt cold dread ice his veins as he stared at the jagged giant piece of rock as it arced upwards and blocked the sun, plunging the two teenagers in a rapidly expanding shadow…

…When two figures leapt over them and slammed their feet into the oncoming boulder with a resounding crack. Kinnii's attack ceased suddenly, the swordsman pausing in surprise as he looked up at them. The two figures and the boulder seemed to be suspended for a second, before it plummeted out of the air and smashed into the ground in front of the young men, splitting in two. A second later the two figures each landed on a separate piece of the halved rock, balanced expertly on top of the boulder, one dressed in brown, and the other in white.

"Looks like we arrived just in time, eh Tendo?" Genma smirked.

Soun nodded casually. "So it would seem Saotome."

Akane looked back and forth between them, her confusion growing as she realized that she wasn't dreaming. Without much thought she raced suddenly across the battlefield and threw her arms around her father, squeezing tighter as his arms drew her close to.

"What are you doing here dad?" she asked finally, before turning to glare dangerously at Genma. "More importantly, what is _he_ doing here….."

The venom in her tone was unmistakable, eye narrowing to mere slits as she eyes the elder Saotome with caution and distaste, suddenly once more worried for Ranma than herself. How would the red head react if she saw her father? Had enough time passed since the night of the fight for Ranma to even consider being in the same room with him again?

"Eh, I'll explain later," Soun assured her. "In the meantime let's make sure everyone's ok. You ok to handle things Saotome?"

Genma nodded once, slowly, eyes never wavering from Kinnii's. "I can take care of this one no problem."

Kinnii sneered. "Mighty big words for someone who ran away the last time we met. Ran away and left your own child to fight your battles for you."

"Don't worry," Genma shifted to a battle stance, ready to fight. "I'm not running this time."

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….

The winding tunnels filled with musical rings of steel clashing against steel, echoing through the dark. Yukino slashed again and again, watching the woman before her struggle to block and dodge the attacks, but despite her best efforts the housewife still managed to elude the edge of her blade with an uncanny sense of timing. Yukino glided backwards, heart racing as sweat trickled down her body; she panted heavily, chest heaving as she eyed the woman cautiously.

Nodoka Saotome looked just as bad, on one knee with her weight resting on the hilt of her katana. She stared back at Yukino with a dangerous glint of inextinguishable fire flashing across her gaze. Yukino couldn't help but shiver at that unrelenting look.

Where was she drawing this power from? None of the Society's reports suggested that the woman had any training of any kind, so how was it possible that a mere housewife could hold her off for so long? She had spent a good portion of her life learning the katana and its myriad of brothers and sisters; after all it would do no good for a Matsomuyri to be unable to defend herself if need be. From bows to polearms, she had trained in all the appropriate traditional weapons.

…so why could she not fell a single…_peasant!_

The woman had no style, no pattern! She was clumsy and awkward! Her strikes threw her off balance; she over reached and threw herself headlong into and avoided attacks that would have sliced any one else apart.

And yet the woman's lack of style was so infuriatingly effective…

"I've underestimate you," Yukino admitted grudgingly, sneering through clenched teeth as she glared at the housewife. "You're very skilled."

"Actually…" Nodoka replied, her tone flat and serious. "…I have never really been very skilled. I'm just very lucky."

…

…

Yukino paused, staring in silent disbelief, sure she hadn't heard right the first time…

"Lucky?" the simple, single worded question dripped with poison.

Nodoka didn't even bat an eye. "Yes, it used to infuriate my father to no end when I was younger. I could only ever get the basics… I was more interested in other things…"

Yukino felt the muscles around her eyes contract dangerously. For a second she thought the woman was patronizing her, but even as she scanned the housewife's dark eyes, she knew without a doubt that the woman was being serious. As she looked at the woman, stared at the way she held the katana – like the way a kid held an oversized baseball bat – and awkwardly shifted her weight around, Yukino thought it should have been obvious to begin with.

The woman before her was not a warrior at all.

Yukino felt waves of anger crashing inside her. Anger at the Saotome Matriarch; anger at herself for not being able to over come her; anger towards the incompetent soldiers the Society employed for letting the woman touch even one foot inside the base.

With a cry she swept her blade around in a deadly arc towards the housewife's neck, her murderous rage greater than ever. But when the blade should have met soft pliable flesh it only found metal. Nodoka's blade screeched as Yukino's slid up and over the woman's head.

"No one mocks the Matsomuyri clan!" Yukino roared, swinging the blade up and around. "I won't allow it!"

Nodoka didn't try to stop her this time; instead she dropped to the ground as the blade raced towards her, but it only slashed air. The sudden momentum behind the blade caught Yukino by surprise with a squeal as her entire body twisted and fell, feet twisting around one another before she could stop herself.

A second later she crashed face first into the hard ground.

Nodoka stifled a small smirk of amusement.

Yukino screeched furiously, hands slamming against the ground as she heaved her upper body up, blood oozing from several serious grazes marring her once devastatingly beautiful face. She glared death at the housewife several feet away, irrational, undeniable hatred filling the jade rings, finger nails breaking as they clawed at the rocky floor.

Yukino snarled. "I am really going to enjoy killing you!"

….

…

…

…

….

Everyone watched in silent awe, tending to their injuries and recovering their strength as the elder Saotome exchanged a fury of blows with Kinnii, his seemingly out of shape body twisting and turning in ways that didn't seem possible for a man of his age. Kinnii roared with frustration, his sword missing its target every time, his own body sporting bruises across its large frame. They watched as Genma fought on equal ground, surprising them all with the ferocity of his attacks. It was as if they were watching a completely different man.

This wasn't the Genma they all knew.

The Genma they knew was never this strong. He was weak and cowardly, irresponsible and greedy. But yet, this was the man that had trained Ranma, and Ranma was one of the strongest fighters they had ever met short of Happosai and Cologne. To think that Genma could fight with this much skill surprised them.

Akane couldn't believe what she was seeing.

It was almost – _almost _– like watching Ranma fight.

The older man's feet crashed into Kinnii's stomach, doubling the giant forward with spit flying from his mouth. Genma whirled around again, barely pausing for even a second before his foot crashed into the man's face and sending him spinning sideways, crimson mist spraying from his lips.

It wasn't so much in the way he fought though that made something, seem different about him; they had all seen fighters that were deceptively stronger than they first appeared. No it was more in the way he held himself, a strange assurance or confidence that had been absent before.

"Dad…whe…..when did Mister Saotome…..get so strong?"

Akane couldn't contain the disbelief in her voice. Even though she was seeing it right before her eyes, it seemed so impossible.

Her father didn't reply straight away; he watched the fight with a small smile, a flicker of amusement and nostalgia shining through his eyes as the ring of red embers devoured a little more of the cigarette dangling from his lip. "Genma, is fighting the way he used to…"

"What do you mean?" Akane asked, confused.

"Genma wasn't always the man you think he is. There was a time when Genma was an incredible fighter. He devoted his entire life to the arts, nothing was more important, except his family. He could be a womanizer and even be greedy at times, but that was never the most important thing to him. But then, we met the Master and everything changed. We changed," Soun frowned, pausing as he thought back on the past, a twinkling of regret lining his eyes. "It was perhaps our greatest mistake when we agreed to be his disciples, but we were young and we wanted to be strong. We wanted to be the best and that's what Happosai offered us. We were blinded with ambition."

Akane stared in shock. She had never heard her father sound so bitter and regretful in her entire life. She had only ever known him as the caring, albeit overbearing and overemotional father he had always been. She had only ever thought of him as her embarrassing dad; she had never once considered the sacrifices he had made to establish his own dojo; the dojo that she was to carry on one day…

Suddenly, the weight and importance of that meant so much more to her now, more than it ever had. The dojo wasn't just a place to train in, to train others in. It was a legacy he had built for her…

"I don't understand," Ukyo said after a long while. "If it was such a mistake, why did you both continue to train under the old freak? Why not quit?"

"There were times when we wanted to. But, we both thought we were doing the right thing. That by enduring the Master's training we could do the best things for our families and in the end that was what kept us going." He looked up Akane. "We wanted to give our children a legacy they could be proud of. We just didn't understand the evil we had attached ourselves to. When we thought we had sealed away the Master forever, we were determined to turn the Anything Goes School into something decent, but it was too late. We had already been warped by his _training._"

"What do you mean?" Akane asked.

Soun sighed, stubbing the butt of his cigarette against the ground. "While the Master's training can allow you to endure almost any hardship imaginable, it also crushes the fighting spirit you once had. You start to make compromises. Break a moral rule here, another one there. You tell yourself that its ok, you'll make up for it later, but you never do. Before long, the person you were is gone. That's what happened to us. I stopped going on Genma's little adventures after we sealed the Master away, and devoted myself to my family and establishing my own dojo, while Genma decided to devote all his efforts to training Ranma. Sometimes I wondered why he didn't start his own dojo. I always thought that maybe he just didn't have the passion to run his own anymore. But, it seems that he's starting to regain that fire once more. I felt it the moment he showed up looking for Nodoka and Ranma a couple of days after the rest of you had left. It was a glimmer of the same fire he used to have when he would drag me along on one of his training trips."

Everyone was silent for a moment, wrestling with the concept that Genma hadn't always been the greedy, scheming old man they all knew; that he hadn't always been the same irresponsible, insensitive fool that had gotten himself and his son cursed. It was too easy to think that that was what he had always been like, that there was no other side to him.

But now they were seeing first hand, Genma fighting for someone other than himself without being forced to.

"Wait a minute…" Ryoga started suddenly, turning to look at Soun in shock. "You said he's _starting_ to regain his fighting spirit…..that means…"

Soun nodded seriously. "Genma could be as strong as either you or Ranma. The only thing holding him back, is himself."

Even as they looked on in disbelief as the older Saotome fought the crazed sword welding giant, they were reminded once more of one very simple fact…

This man was the one that had trained Ranma…

...

...

...

Genma felt the sword brush him as he twisted sideways, felt the weight and cool touch of the blade as the flat of the sword skimmed his arm before it smashed into the ground. He savored the rush that surged through him, the adrenalin, the excitement of being in a real fight, not just a sparring match or against cannon fodder, but a real fight against a dangerous foe. It had been so long since he had felt these sensations, that at first they felt so foreign to him, but it was almost like riding a bike; Soon, they felt as familiar as to him as breathing.

His lungs burned and his chest ached, sweat pouring off his skin as he moved with the speed and power of a man half his age in a body simply not designed anymore for such a punishment; and he loved it. He felt more alive than he had in a long time.

The elder Saotome attacked with a rapid left then right hook. Kinnii staggered back from the force of the punch. On top of everything else the enormous swordsman started to sag, the myriad of minor and major attacks he'd taken starting to creep up on. Genma could see it in his eyes.

Genma grinned. "What's wrong Kinnii, you're not gonna let an old man like me beat you are yah? That's nearly as pathetic as being beaten by a little girl!"

Kinnii's face quivered and reddened with barely contained murderous rage, eyes twitching, lips parting to reveal tightly clenched teeth as his body trembled.

"You couldn't even stop six kids from taking out all your men," Genma continued, glancing around at the fallen soldiers strewn everywhere. "And let's not forget that pathetic curse of yours."

That was it.

Kinnii snapped like an over taxed dam.

The swordsman attacked with blinding impossible speed for a man his size. The sword cleaved through the air, screaming with equal rage as a roar ripped from its wielder's lips. Genma threw himself backwards as the sword raced past above him. Kinnii swung in a full circle from the momentum, nearly clipping the elder Saotome again as her jumped above the swordsman and nailed him in the face with the heel of his foot. Staggering backwards again, Kinnii whipped the sword up, slicing through the martial artists dirty white gi, tearing a large chunk away.

Genma dropped to the ground and leapt backwards, wincing as blood seeped from the light cut across his ribs. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to hurt like hell.

Kinnii grinned at the sight of the blood, licking his lips with anticipation.

"Don't get cocky," Genma warned. "Just because you managed to scratch me doesn't mean you've won yet."

"Yet," Kinnii echoed, smirking evilly.

Despite himself, despite how serious this fight was, despite the fact that his child, his flesh and blood had been kidnapped by this monster, Genma smiled; If not because this fight was more fun than he'd had in a long time, then because he was going to enjoy wiping that smirk off the swordsman's face.

They circled each other slowly, Genma breathing shallowly with tingling pain pressing against his ribs with every breath. He watched the other man's movements with a careful eye, watching the measured steps, the tentative shifting of weight with every movement. The swordsman was in pain; his body weakened from his other battles, probably not even aware himself of just how much damage he had taken from the six teenagers. Genma did though. He knew how powerful each of them could be if they wanted to win badly enough. Kinnii was operating on irrational rage, the desire for revenge.

Kinnii grinned suddenly, sadistically. "You have no idea how beautiful the sounds of your _girl's_ screams are."

Genma stopped in mid step, a chill washing over him. "What?"

The bastard's grin widened. "Like the sound of music they are and she can scream for hours at a time."

Genma could hear the sound of his blood pumping, fists tightening as the blood rushed through his body, making it start to tremble.

"You'll never know how good it feels to hear that little witch beg for mercy, sobbing like a pathetic child. The only thing that would have made it better was if I was the one inflicting the pain myself!"

With a enrage roar Genma lunged. Kinnii balked in surprised at the older man's speed, reeling backwards as the fist connected with his face. The enormous swordsman flew backwards and slammed into the remains of the ravine wall. The others watching from a far, jumped up in shock as Genma sprinted across the distance separating the two and kicked the swordsman. Kinnii howled as the foot buried itself in his abdomen, slamming him harder into the wall with cracks branching out behind him. Genma grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hauled him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground.

Images flashed unbidden through the father's head of his child – it didn't matter if Ranma was a boy or a girl – being hurt, or being tortured for the Kami only knew why. The rage flowed through him in an uncontrollable flood, surging through his limbs with every strike as he threw the swordsman around, slammed and punched and kicked him into the ground and ravine walls.

As he slammed the swordsman again into the wall and drew back to deliver another punch, Kinnii lunged forward and slammed his knee into the elder Saotome's stomach.

Genma was unprepared for it, eyes flying wide as the air was forced from his lungs. Kinnii slammed the interlocked fists into the man's back, smashing him against the ground and kicked him away, snarling like a wild animal with blood oozing from dozens of new wounds.

Saotome growled, clawing to his feet as Kinnii went for his sword that had been knocked from his grip in Genma's insane outburst. Genma lashed out with his foot, tripping the swordsman up, his hand a mere inches from the weapon. The elder Saotome lunged through the air as Kinnii lurched forward and grabbed the blade, rolling on to his back and slashing up at the martial artist. Genma twisted at the last second, landing next to the giant and rolling away as the sword crashed down next to him.

Both men jumped to their feet, panting heavily as they glared murderously at one another.

"You'll pay for whatever you've done to Ranma," Genma rumbled.

"Not before I make you and your brat pay for humiliating me last time!" Kinnii snarled. "Leaving me in that pathetic body! Do you know how long it took to retrieve my sword from the bottom of that river? I trained tirelessly for every day since then, for almost two years just waiting for the day I could get my revenge against you all! I vowed I wouldn't be humiliated like that again!"

"Oh poor you," Genma hissed. "So you're cursed, get over it! None of that gives you the right to torture people!"

"And who are you to judge our methods!" Kinnii snarled. "We're doing what's right for the world!"

"Who asked you to?" Genma snapped.

The two men fought like rabid dogs, twisting and weaving around brutal attacks and all the while Genma could only picture the last time he had seen Ranma and Nodoka back in Nerima. The look of hurt on both their faces when they had looked at him, the harsh words that had torn at his heart and the unspoken words that were even worse was unbearable. He loved his wife and to have her say that she didn't want to be reminded that he was her husband was a pain worse than anything he had ever felt. But, to have Ranma not even be able to look at him was a new pain he had never felt before.

His own child hated him, and it was his fault.

He felt like the failure he was.

…He wasn't going to fail them again though.

The elder Saotome glanced around with quick gaze, scanning the area as he parried and dodged Kinnii's attacks.

"_Perfect,"_ He almost smiled.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW!" Kinnii bellowed.

Genma snapped his attention back as the massive sword screamed down through the air, glinting light along its edge…

…Then smirked before he vanished as the sword passed straight through him.

His sword buried in the partially in the hard ground, Kinnii blinked in surprise, twisting and turning every which way in shock. The old man was gone; completely and utterly gone. His eyes flickered across every piece of earth, searching out every hiding place he could find, but there was nothing. He couldn't even sense the fat bastard anymore.

Kinnii snorted in disgust. "So the coward ran away again!" He turned to glare at the Soun. "Your turn!"

Soun exhaled a cloud of smoke, giving the giant a flat stare in return. "You're not done yet."

Kinnii frowned in confusion, and looked around again. Straight away he knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He turned a full circle, frowning the entire time, frustration steadily growing inside him. Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention and he spun around in time to see chunks of rubble disappear in the blink of an eye. His eyes widened and he turned again, realizing now what was wrong.

The rubble from all the attacks was disappearing.

"What are you doing!" he shouted as he turned. "WHERE ARE YOU OLD MAN?"

"Over here!"

The giant spun to see him standing atop a boulder, only for him to disappear a second later.

"Now I'm here!"

Kinnii jumped in fright as a finger tapped him on the shoulder and slashed around as he started to turn again, but this time there was a rush of darkness as something crossed his line vision, blanketing him in absolute black. Then it was gone, the world returned and he couldn't sense the man anymore; and what's more every scrap of rubble, every bit and piece of broken rock littered across the wide trail was gone.

The sound of snickering forced him to turn around to glare at the grouped teenagers; the girl's giggling reservedly while the boy's could barely contain the laughter threatening to split their sides. Had they gone mad he wondered? What the hell was wrong with them, and why did it everything feel chillier than before all of sudden?

He blinked a couple of times and looked down, his eyes widening in disbelief to find himself standing in only his boxers.

His face reddened in humiliation.

The bastard had stolen his clothes!

"You will pay for this you over grown rat!" Kinnii thundered, raising his sword above his head as he started once more his most fearsome attack. "I'll rip you to shreds old man!"

The sword spun so fast it was practically a blur of glinting silver. The vacuum broke apart the earth around him and drew it up faster and stronger than before, the entire mountain range rumbling with effort, protesting against the forces exerted upon it. Huge chunks of the remaining ravine walls collapsed inward and were drawn up into the vacuum like balls of cotton, the rushing wind drowning out Kinnii's bellowing roar.

Genma appeared high above him, a huge cloth sack to his back.

"You should have stayed hidden old man! NOW YOU DIE!" Kinnii shouted.

"Not today!" Genma pulled the giant sack off his back and brought it around with a tight grip. "Saotome school of Umisen-ken secret technique! _Yasha Tankai Hō!_"

Kinnii noticed too late the ground around him breaking apart into fine small pieces of rock and loose dirt, dropping him into a large crater, as the old man and the giant sack plummeted towards him. All of a sudden the sack burst apart like an overfilled water balloon as razor sharp fragments of rock sliced along the outside and from within every scrap of rubble Genma had collected exploded forth in a rush of earth. Kinnii could only stand and watch in horror as the plummeting debris cut off all escape and buried him beneath it all.

"NO!" he screamed in rage. "This isn't fair!"

He cries of defeat echoed through the ruined ravine for several seconds, before they were abruptly cut off, the mountain rumbling with the echo of hundreds of tons of earth settling into place. Genma landed on top of the newly formed dome of earth, discarding the tattered cloth with an indifferent flick of his hand.

As the other's came scrambling over, he started at the center of the mound with a tingling of mercy. He leant forward and drove his fist through the soft dirt. He fumbled around for a second or two, till he finally felt his fist close around a thick neck. With all his strength he heaved Kinnii up till his head was just peeking out of the mound. The swordsman coughed and spluttered violently, puffs of dirt escaping his mouth and tumbling from his hat and streaking his face.

When he looked up, Genma was already hurrying onward to the base with the others close behind.

"This isn't over yet!" Kinnii growled…

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_

_**Well only one part left to go and we can get back to things.**_

_**Now, yes I have purposely played down the fighting strength of some characters because the story isnt about them, and played up the strength of others for my own selfish reasons, so please don't go on about how some things wouldn't have happened to character x or character b wouldn't have done that. If you want them to do that or not have it happen to them, you're more then welcome to write you own story.**_

_**I'm sorry if this all sounds really surly or nasty, but I'm tired and I feel like crap.**_

_**Chapter 12 will be up in a few days to a week from now and I hope, yahs'll stick around for it and more.**_

_**Cya's later**_


	12. Chapter 12: The Delicate Touch Pt 5

**A/N: **

**Well here it is, the final part of the Delicate Touch arc, at long bloody last ;**

**I am glad for this section to be finally over, considering that Delicate Touch was originally going to be a single chapter that's turned into five _**

**I'll make this brief. **

**To Thayli: You should learn to actually write proper stuff before you flame people their stories, it'll be less embarrassing for you in the long run. **

**Now, lets continue with the story**

Chapter 12

_The Delicate Touch Pt 5_

_Safe at Last?_

The base felt more like a tomb now. It was quiet, eerie and deserted at first glance. There was the occasional sound of feet smacking against the ground in a dead run, the sound of cries or screams that pierced the silence for a second or two, and then it came back more oppressive than ever.

He couldn't believe how wrong it had all gone.

The Vice Chairman paused in mid run, pressing himself against the wall as the caves shook again with low rumbles, dirt falling in dusty showers from the spider web cracked ceiling. Sweat soaked his skin, the cloth he patted his face with was practically useless, his cheeks red with exhaustion and fear. He jumped at the sounds of screams somewhere in the many tunnels, followed closely by the sound of rumbling cave-ins. His hands trembled violently, his heart pounding a mile a minute.

He snapped his attention around at the many caves, trying vainly to find a point of reference. The cave-ins and earthquakes had rearranged the system, throwing him off balance as he had ran stupidly into the darkness in search of Yukino. He was lost and the prospect of death was closing in around him every passing second.

The urge to crumple on the ground and cry in despair was almost overwhelming.

But, he drew strength from the purpose of his mission. He would get the girl away from here and he would get the location of the Jewel from her even if it was the last thing he did. He wasn't going to fail again, not this time; the Jewel was far to important to leave this alone now.

"Those damn brats, they'll pay for this," he muttered vehemently.

"Oh will they?"

The Vice Chairman jumped in fright, skin crawling and hairs standing on end at the cold deadly voice that whispered from the darkness. His eyes darted every which way, new beads of sweat dribbling down the fat of his cheeks.

"You've caused enough trouble little man," the ancient raspy female voice sneered. "Too much for me to ignore anymore."

"Who's there?" he demanded, panicking as the voice seemed to come from all around him. "Whoever you are leave me alone! You have no right being here!"

A large headed wooden cane smacked him across the back of the head, pain lancing through his skull as he stumbled forward in terror. The fat little man spun around, holding the back of his head. The darkness almost seemed to peel away, revealing the tiny shape of wrinkled and weathered old woman, long white hair spilling to the ground, a cane grasped firmly in one hand while her eyes glared dangerously into his.

A surge of relief washed over him.

It was only a woman, and an old one at that.

Even he was more than capable of handling a senior citizen.

"Try it sonny," she hissed, watching his eyes and expressions. "See how far you get."

The Vice Chairman felt chills shoot through him, fear gripping his heart as a battle aura flowed around the woman. His throat dried, gulping uselessly as she seemed to tower over him, her power bearing down on him like a mountain.

Suddenly his eyes widened in realization, the color draining from his flesh.

"Oh my god…y….you….you're an Amazon!" he squeaked.

"The Matriarch of the Amazon Tribes," she corrected coldly.

He nearly died there and then, heart seizing as a single name rolled off his tongue: "Cologne!"

"That's right," she glowered. "You've meant harm to my kin in the past and now you kidnap another that's as special and important to me as my own granddaughter. I can no longer allow your actions to go unpunished you stupid fool. By attacking my granddaughter and kidnapping the one I've invested so much in, your Society has declared war on my people, and mine will respond in kind. As we speak, the Preservation Society is being hunted into extinction all across China, and it will not end there, rest assure of that!"

He stared at her in disbelief, as if she was mad. "We're trying to help the world! Those cursed by Jusenkyo must be tamed or else they'll bring chaos unlike any we have ever known down upon our world! You can't do this to us! The world needs us to protect it!"

Cologne smacked her cane against the wall with enough force that cracks shot through the hard rock, the Vice Chairman flinching in terror as the cracks reached him. "You don't presume to tell me what I can and can't do. It is already done, and the world will be a better place without your foul foolishness to rot it further. Now, you will tell me where you have put Ranma!"

Perhaps it was the certainty of death looming over his head, but the Vice Chairman felt a stirring of defiance. "Or else what? You'll kill me?"

Cologne's wrinkled lips peeled back in a deadly smile. "Oh no my fat friend, I have something far better planned for your punishment in these events. But, you will tell me what I want to know…"

….

…

…

…

….

Nodoka felt her lungs burn, straining inside her chest as her heart pounded horribly. Little nicks across her arms and legs trickled little rivets of crimson, the cool air stinging her wounds through the tears in her kimono. Never did her gaze drift from the woman across from her, strands of hair plastered across her sweat soaked, red cheeked face.

The noble image Yukino had created for herself had long since disappeared, leaving an exhausted and frustrated woman in her place. Rage was evident in the woman's eyes. Nodoka imagined that there was nothing more Yukino would have liked to have done at that moment than kill her. She was willing to bet that there were few challenges this woman had ever faced that she couldn't over come or get her own way.

"I think I would have liked to have known you under different circumstances Ms. Saotome," Yukino hissed. "I think we could have had some interesting conversations."

"I doubt there is a single universe in which we could ever be friends," Nodoka replied honestly. "I could never befriend anyone with a heart as black as yours, who lets themselves be driven by insatiable rage and revenge. I could never be friends with a woman like you!"

"Spare me your self righteous simple minded opinion," Yukino sneered. "You'll never know the pain I've suffered. So don't you dare judge me!"

"So that gives you the right too do as you please does it?" Nodoka replied coolly.

"It gives me all the right!" Yukino sneered

The woman came flying at her, sword flashing reflected fire light as it cleaved through the air. Nodoka rushed forward, whipping her sword up. Metal clashed against metal as the two blades met, ringing through the dark tunnels in a musical sound. She was nearly knocked off her feet by the attack, the jarring force of the other woman's strike reverberating painfully through her wrists and arms as she staggered back. Yukino barely paused as she attacked again and again, her sword mere glimmers of silver as the housewife struggled to block the enraged woman's attacks. Nodoka gasped at the ferocity, struggling to keep up with the other woman as the swings came harder and faster every time; the clang of clashing steel exploded in her ears, hands hurting from gripping the hilt tighter and tighter to keep it from slipping from her grasp.

And still the other woman came at her without so much as pause.

Irrational rage glimmered through the woman's eyes; it burned through her limbs and through her blade as tears of pent up frustration and anguish beading at the corners of her eyes. Yukino was all but foaming at the mouth, her eyes wide and irrational with rage and hate. The woman's blood lust was overwhelming; Nodoka could feel it bearing down on her with every strike she blocked.

She couldn't explain it; she couldn't even explain where it came from, but Nodoka suddenly felt sorry for this woman…

This wasn't the rage of someone that hated for the sake of hating.

No.

This was the hate and rage of someone that had been hurt.

Of someone that had lost…

Sweat poured from her brow with the effort of keeping the mad woman at bay, her limbs struggling with exhaustion surging through them and the realization that she couldn't stand up to much more of this punishment. She wasn't a martial artist, she didn't have the stammer of a properly trained fighter, and she knew she was lucky to have lasted this long.

She couldn't lose though…

…Nodoka suddenly stepped into one of the attacks, blades clashing with a burst of sparks as she ran Yukino backwards into the wall. "Nothing gives you the right to kidnap innocent people let alone children!"

Yukino snarled. "Innocent? None of those freaks are innocent! They're all animals!"

With a wrench both swords were sent clattering across the hard ground. Nodoka didn't see the fist coming until it was too late; stars exploded in her eyes, pain lancing through her skull as the deranged woman punched her in the face. Over and over again she felt Yukino's well manicured hands crashed heavily against her, pummeling her with the bombardment of poorly aimed punches.

"I will not let a filthy commoner like you beat me!" Yukino screamed, clamping her hands around Nodoka's neck, fingers digging brutally into her throat. "Die! Die you damn bitch!"

Color spots danced across Nodoka's vision, darkness creeping at the edges trying to claw its way further across her eyes. She stared up at the Yukino's fury laced, blazing jade green gems, desperately trying to pry the woman's grip loose. The woman sneered and snarled like a rabid dog, hissing and spitting as her gaze bore into Nodoka's. The housewife felt her heart race, lungs burning for air; panic starting to worm its way into her mind.

Yukino cackled triumphantly as she forced the housewife down to the ground. "Yes! Yes! DIE! Die knowing that I'm going to turn your precious freak child into the perfect killing machine! She will do my bidding! She will help me get my revenge against her disgusting kind!"

"No….one….is going to….use…..my daughter!" Nodoka gasped angrily, glaring into Yukino's enraged eyes. "Least of all you, now get OFF!"

Yukino looked down suddenly, realizing too late that Nodoka's feet were pressed against her abdomen. With a heaving roar Nodoka sent the other woman flying crashing into the wall behind her.

Yukino screamed as she hit the wall, head snapping backward with a sickening crack. Her eyes flew open in shock, pupils shrinking to mere pin pricks as she slowly slid down the wall, and collapsed in a tangled heap of limbs and fabric folds of her once pristine kimono.

Nodoka rolled on to her side, coughing and hacking as she tried to fill her lung, the cool air stinging the violent scratches that ran along her neck, trickling lines of crimson down her flesh. Chest rising and falling rapidly with heavy breaths she snapped her head around to glare at the still heap of the other woman. She climbed to unsteady feet, grabbing on to the opposite wall for support before straightening and dusting off her torn and ruffled kimono.

"The only vile creature here is you," she huffed.

The housewife calmly collected her blade and sheath, trying to catch her breath as her heart continued to pound with the surging adrenalin pumping through her limbs. She brushed a sweat soaked lock of hair from her forehead, tucking it back with trembling fingers. All the while she was careful never to take her eyes away from the motionless woman for more than a second at a time.

It would have been safer to turn her back on a starving lion than it would have been to do it to this woman.

She winced with every step, with every breath. Her body ached like it hadn't in years, and she could feel each and every little cut that covered her flesh, and every bruise that was starting to show.

At that moment, she would have liked to have done nothing more than climb into a hot bath and just soak…

"Mrs. Saotome!"

She turned in surprised as Akane and the others came hurrying out of the darkness. She smiled, happy to see them all safe, unable to banish the constant worry she'd felt gnawing at her insides for them. Their many bruises and cuts didn't escape her keen motherly attention though; it was a struggle for her not to patch them up where they stood. They all looked worse for wear, but she knew they didn't need her treating them like they were little kids.

"I'm glad you're all sa–,"

The words died in her mouth the second Genma appeared with Soun trailing behind him.

A heavy silence fell across them, pressing down on them as she stared at her husband, emotions racing through her ranging from hurt and anger to joy and relief. At the same time she noticed something different about him. Something new, yet old and familiar at the same time; Raw and powerful feelings surged through her and she knew it to be nothing less than love. The love she'd once had for the man before her rekindled anew unlike it had since she'd been reunited with both him and Ranma nearly a year ago.

That hadn't been love she'd felt then, not true love; not the love she remembered and felt now.

Now she felt her heart racing, like she was a school girl all over again when she'd first met him.

"Genma…" she started.

He shook head. "We can talk about it later. Right now, we have more important things to worry about."

Nodoka stared at him for a moment longer, before she nodded in agreement. Right now the most important thing was to get Ranma back, and then she could have her family whole again after so long, the way it should be. The mere thought of it alone was enough for her to slip her arms around his waist, squeezing tightly and resting her head against his chest and savoring the warmth of his body she'd missed all these years.

She felt his arms hold her close, tightly, safely.

A girls released a collective 'Awwww,' at the sight of them.

Nodoka smiled, despite everything else.

"You're all fools!" they spun around at the harsh cold hiss, Yukino bracing herself against the wall with her face twisted in a visage of uncontrollable hate. Nodoka frowned, her happy moment suddenly bursting like a popped balloon. Yukino seethed at her. "I still have an ace up my sleeve."

Nodoka realized too late the woman was holding something between her fingers. "No!"

Before they could stop her Yukino slammed the object into the ground. There was a sharp crack and a pop, and a second later the tunnels were filled with a thick black smoke. It expanded out in a rapid wave, the lot of them coughing and hacking and waving their hands about as the thick acrid smelling cloud stung their throats and noses.

When the smoke cleared, predictably Yukino was making a run for it; her form already disappearing down one of the dark tunnels.

….

…

…

…

….

She ran as hard as she could.

The tunnels were a dark blur around her, an obstacle course of shattered chunks of fallen rock. She was livid; rage unlike anything she had felt in years boiled and bubbled away inside her like some insidious decease. It clawed at her insides, Nodoka Saotome's face flashing across her mind, mouth curling in a hideous sneer at the thought of the woman.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot!

She could hear them somewhere behind her, the numerous smacks of feet against rock as they gave chase. A quick glance back over her shoulder and she could only make out the faint shapes of their forms in the swirling darkness. A smile threatened to split her features. They would all pay for this and she would take the greatest pleasure in watching them suffer.

To hell with the Society to, she decided, they were a bunch of incompetent fools that continued to hinder her plans with their ridiculous Sacred Code of Conduct nonsense that she had been forced to agree with for so long. She didn't care if the code was broken except that each time it was it brought her one step closer to victory, learning a little more each time she was given the chance to 'interrogate' one of those monsters. She didn't need them anymore though, she had all that she needed now and nothing was going to stop her. Not this time. Not after all these years she had slaved away and sacrificed to get to this point. She was so close now she could taste it, and no one, least of all domesticated housewife or a bunch of teenagers was going to ruin this for her.

It was time for the Matsomuyri clan to rise again.

"_You'll be first Nodoka Saotome…"_ her lips curled back in a feral grin. _"You will pay for humiliating me!"_

She snapped out of her psychotic musings when she spotted the heavy iron door at the end of the tunnel. It swung open the instant she slammed her hands against it, smashing backwards into the wall with a shuddering clang as she run through, pausing only long enough to slam it back into place and lock it behind her, the locking pins dropping into place with a heavy clunk. Seconds later she smiled at the sound of fists smashing against the other side, the muffled cries and demands that penetrated its solid mass.

It wouldn't hold them for long, but it would be long enough.

Yukino turned and sprinted down the center of the small assembly room, leaping on to the stage at the other end carved into the wall itself. She would give the Society this; they knew how to make impression with their secret bases and the work they put into constructing them. If only they put as much effort into their mandate, maybe they wouldn't be such a pathetic joke.

She'd had just snatched the remote off the long stool sitting on the stage when the fell inward, the hinges and lock housings ripping free of the frame and wall as it slammed into the ground with a heavy clang or metal against rock. She spun around as the collected group of unique fighters streamed into the room one after the other, Ranma's parents taking front and center as they raced across the room and surrounded the stage in a matter of seconds.

She let her fingers feel the comforting touch of the thin needle shafts at the ready between her fingers.

She wasn't going to be caught of guard by these people.

They each stared at her with the same hard determined gaze she had grown accustomed to seeing in Ranma's eyes. It was the same fire, the same attitude. What was it with these people that made them so willing to endure whatever it took to succeed?

"You have no where else to run, just give up and tell us where Ranma is!" Nodoka demanded.

Yukino scoffed. "Just because I have no where else to run doesn't mean it's time for me to throw myself at your mercy you silly fool."

"I am done playing games with you Yukino…" Nodoka growled, hands clenching into fists. "Give me back, my Ranma now!"

She let her gaze drift over each of them, recognizing them all from the reports the Society had gathered on them. She knew everything about each and every one of them, or so she had thought as her eyes rested on Nodoka Saotome one more. This deceptively defenseless housewife that was far more than she seemed. Even now Yukino found it near impossible to liken her to the woman that had not only held her against her, but had also beaten her. What surprises she wondered, did the others have hidden about themselves?

She knew one thing for certain though.

There was no way she could take all of them if she couldn't take Nodoka.

She shook her head, word seething in her mouth. "You have no idea what I've been through. None of you will ever understand. None of you can understand what I've had to suffer all these years to get to now. You think you know what true pain is. You think the world revolves around you and your petty problems and insecurities and that nothing else matters. None of you know what true hardship is. None of you know what it's like to bury your anger, your pain and be patient like I've had to for ten years. You think just because you endure ridiculous amounts of training that you know what it's like to endure a hard life. HA! None of you would know what a hard life is if it jumped up and hit you in the face. You disgust me! All of you!"

She glared at them; letting the cold uncomfortable silence blanket them all as they stared back at her with alternating gazes of hate and uncertainty. She let her thumb run across the surface of the red button on the remote, feeling the hard plastic against her skin without taking her eyes off them. She felt her heart thumping in her chest with anticipation.

"Please," Nodoka's tone was softer this time, more pleading. "Tell us where Ranma is. That's all we want to know and we'll go."

Yukino smirked at the desperation in the woman.

She had been that weak once.

She had pleaded once.

Her eyes hardened like steel. "She's right here."

Her thumb pressed down on the red button and in instant the stage began to rumble and shake. She glanced back over her shoulder as a square section of the stage peeled back, rock scraping rock and revealing a black abyss beyond. Hidden gears and motors whirled to life with thrum that reverberated through the entire room. Yukino grinned as the cage appeared, just the top at first, then slowly but steadily the bars rose out off the darkness.

Then the prize appeared.

Nodoka and the others gasped. "Ranma!"

The red head stood silently within the confines of the cage, chains running from the floor to manacles clamped around her small wrists that jingled when the cage came to an abrupt grinding halt. Her head was bowed slightly, shadows hiding her face as she stood there. Her hair was slightly longer, bound back in a loose pony tail that flopped over a shoulder, and the clothes she wore were like her normal attire with the addition of black bracers around her forearms; only her blouse was black, and a long dark red sash was tied around her waist, and from a knot flowed off her shapely hips down half the length of her leg.

"Let her go!" Nodoka snarled.

"If you insist," Yukino smirked and pressed the green button.

With an electronic chirp the manacles fell away at the same time the cage door swung open.

Still Ranma didn't move.

"What are you doing? Get out of there!" Ryoga shouted.

Yukino wanted to laugh at their puzzled expressions, the frantic, anxious look that flashed across Nodoka's eyes. It was almost precious in its own way really. They wanted to rush on to the stage to the little red head, she could see in the way their bodies wanted to move but their over developed sense of danger kept them routed in place. She wished she had a video camera so she could savor this over and over again for as many times as she pleased.

"Come here child," Yukino ordered softly.

Without hesitation, Ranma crossed the short distance between them and stopped at the older woman's side and look out from the assembly with a blank expressionless gaze, her blue depths that had once sparkled with life and fire were now cold and dead. There wasn't even a glimmer of recognition as she looked out at them.

Yukino caressed the top of the girl's head. "She resisted me every step of the way, hoping against hope that she would escape or be rescued. And the funny thing is, if you had been a few hours earlier, you probably would have done just that. Now, she's all mine; isn't that right dear?"

"Yes, mother," Ranma replied softly.

"Oh I do love that," Yukino crooned happily. "Such a sweet and obedient, _daughter_."

Nodoka jerked violently, like she had punched in the face with an iron glove. Yukino grinned viciously at the shock rippling through them all.

"Why! Why did you do this!" Genma demanded, body trembling with a fury the likes of which no one had ever seen from him before.

Yukino licked her lips. "Why? Because I needed the perfect weapon, that's why. Ranma is has defeated two of the most powerful creatures alive today; Prince Herb and Lord Saffron, two of some of the most powerful beings in all China. Ranma is the perfect weapon for me to exact my revenge with upon the cursed freaks of Jusenkyo. She obeys without question, but most importantly, she will kill without hesitation. She knows nothing of mercy anymore because there is only one fate that awaits you filthy monsters and that's the cold embrace of death!"

Yes the only thing that held Ranma back from becoming truly one of the most dangerous beings on the planet was her good heart. Without honor, without mercy or the ability to judge right from wrong she would be an unstoppable machine that would attack without limiting herself. She would never pull a single punch ever again. She wouldn't even question the danger to herself, and she would do it all for her loving _mother_.

"You won't get away with this," Ryoga warned. "We won't let you use Ranma this way!"

Everyone nodded in agreement as they readied themselves.

"Oh, is that so?" Yukino laughed. "I like you, Mr. Hibiki. You would be an incredible weapon to possess as well. Maybe when this is all over you will get to experience everything my precious Ranma here got to. Would you like Ryoga? Would you like me to take away all your fears and worries?"

Ryoga shifted uncomfortably under her unwavering gaze, realizing that she wasn't just trying to psyche him out, but that she really would if given the chance to. And she was; Yukino was well aware of what he was capable of. He was every bit as talented and dangerous as Ranma was and she could do so much more damage with his abilities.

Ranma was a precision instrument, a surgeon's scalpel.

Ryoga was a sledge hammer.

Her eyes twinkled suddenly at that thought. She hadn't really been serious about doing to him what had been done to Ranma, but now, the more she thought about it the more she was starting to like the idea and all the possibilities it brought with it. Perhaps, if Ranma only knocked him out she could secure the boy to work on at her leisure. Yes, she thought, it was a great idea, but only if Ranma could knock him out; she wasn't about sacrifice ten years on him, not when she already had Saotome to do her bidding.

Even still the destruction she could wrought with those two at her side…it made her shiver…

"Undo whatever it is you've done to her now!" Nodoka snarled. "I refuse to let you do this to her!"

"I have a better idea," Yukino's grin sadistically. "Ranma, please be a dear and deal with these awful people for me. I grow tired of their unwelcome presence."

"As you wish mother," Ranma bowed respectfully.

A collective flinch shot through the group as the little red head turned her attention to them, face settling into a cold malicious mask of intent. She hopped off the assembly, seeming to float to the earth in a graceful step, slowly walking into the center of the suddenly wary bunch as they formed a circle around her. Genma forced his wife to stay back, more aware than anyone of just how dangerous the situation was becoming.

Yukino reveled in it all, savoring the fear and confusion that swirled around them as they shifted nervously around the red head, glancing at each other for some elusive answer. She loved the tension that hung in the air; it was so thick she could have cut it with a knife. Most of all she loved the inevitable pleas they each made to the girl, begging her not make them do this; to fight; that she didn't have to and that they were here to rescue her.

Ranma stood there at the center of them with the air of a predator about her, slowly scanning the gathered group.

Yukino could almost taste the anticipation.

Nodoka stared over Genma's shoulders with pleading eyes at her _daughter_. "Please Ranma…fight her!"

Ranma stared straight at her a long silence stretching between them, a glimmer of hope shining across the mother's eyes as she stared at her child with such intensity like she was trying to will the red head into remembering who she really was and who they were really were.

Ranma replied softly. "I exist, only to do my mother's will."

Ranma slammed her foot against the ground, flicking a chunk of rock on to her foot and kicked it. The chunk smacked Mousse in the head with a audible crack that sent the blind martial artist staggering backwards with a stream of blood spurting from the tiny wound. She spun at the same time, the silk sash at her waist whipping out as she stepped on to Ukyo's spatula sweeping towards her and leapt into the air with the grace of wind beneath her feet, twisting and spiraling through the air like an Olympic gymnast.

Ukyo whipped around, spatula shurikens flying from her hands, only to smack into the ceiling behind the red head as she twisted around them and landed several feet away. Konatsu appeared behind her, his Takemitsu screaming down on top of her, only for Ranma to flip backwards and catch the wooden blade between her feet. Konatsu gasped and a second later she yanked him forward head first into the ground before he could let go.

She flipped the sword up to her hand and whipped it around in time to meet Shampoo's Chui's in mid air. The bamboo sword groaned and protested with audible cracks and snaps as splinters appeared along its length. Ranma glared at the Chinese girl, not even so much as flinching under the incredible force bearing down on her as she held the sword in place with one hand. All of a sudden she twisted away, dropping the sword so quickly Shampoo pitched forward in surprise. Ranma slammed the heel of her foot in between the other girl's shoulder blades, smashing her into the ground like a rag doll…

Shock flashed across Yukino's face as she watched the girl dance around her friend's in a rhythm of beauty she seldom witnessed in a fight. Her heart soared triumphantly as she watched the girl flow from one attack into another, dancing around withering chains and throwing weapons thwacking off the walls, ceiling and floor, countering without hesitation. She had known, from the first moment she had walked in on Ranma after the girl had been captured that she was the one, she had felt it in her heart and bones with an absolute certainty.

This now, only proved how right she had been.

All the countless hours spent working on the girl hadn't been a complete waste, but rather a test of her conviction and determination to go through with her plans, and now she had been granted the ultimate reward.

At long last everything was falling into place.

"_Soon Keijirou,"_ She soothed inwardly. _"So very soon."_

…Ranma kicked the weighted end of the chain screaming towards her, sending the weight flying straight up as she bounded forward, weaving past the second and third chain and broke past Mousse's defenses in a flash. The poor sighted martial artist reered backwards in shock, trying to bring his arms around fast enough, but it was too late. Ranma's fists blurred through the air and smashed into his abdomen over and over again until the boy was spasming with every hit. With one last open palm strike she sent him flying backwards, slamming heavily into the wall.

"Ranma stop it!" Nodoka cried desperately. "They're your friends!"

The fiery red head paid her no mind, catching Ukyo's spatula behind the head of the weapon and yanked it from her grip. Ukyo stumbled forward in surprise as the cool shaft slid free of her grip, looking up in horror as Ranma twirled the weapon around and slammed the server end of the spatula into her. Ukyo screamed as she sailed through the air towards the wall on the other side of the room. She was only a couple of feet from the wall when Konatsu snatched her out of the air.

Akane appeared behind Ranma, lunging through the air with a fierce cry, fists driving down on at her ex-fiancé, only for Ranma to disappear. Akane gasped as Ranma slipped into the Umisenken, whipping her head back and forth with the frightened gaze of a deer caught in the headlights of an on coming car. She couldn't sense the other girl anywhere….

…Without warning Ranma slipped her arms under Akane's shoulder, hauling her up and then slamming her down into the ground. The youngest Tendo cried out as she bounced across the hard floor, even as her father appeared above them. Ranma leapt straight up slamming her palm under his chin and smashed him into the ceiling.

"Dad!" Akane cried in shock as he crashed to the ground next to her with a dazed look in his eyes.

Ranma was about to move into another attack when Genma appeared in front of her, fists raised ready to fight, eyes set in a serious frown as she stared at him without so much as a hint of recognition. Yukino grinned widely as the two stared each other down in a silent test of wills.

"I'm sorry Ranma," Genma said tightly. "But I won't let you be controlled like this. I didn't invest all that time and effort into you for you to become someone's puppet."

They reacted at the same time, Ranma leapt with lightning reflexes with her legs lashing out, connecting with her father's forearm arms as he blocked and parried the attacks with equal speed. She landed in a crouch and lunged again, fist slicing through the air at his stomach as he smacked it away with a sweep of his arm. It was a blur of motion as the two exchange blow for blow, but none found their mark. They flipped and glided away from another, only to clash again a second later.

Yukino couldn't help but hold her breath as the two fought back and forth, the others watching from afar as father and child fought tooth and nail.

Genma gritted his teeth as Ranma disappeared around his strike again, instinctively leaping away as she went for his hip. The red head launched into the air, flipping backwards over her father's head and landed in a crouch behind him. His eyes widened as he turned, too slow. He howled as her thumbs jammed into the small of his back, twisting into nerve clusters that sent searing pain blasting through his entire body as it went as stiff as a plank of wood. Ranma released the pressure on the nerves suddenly and nailed him in the back with a vicious kick.

Ranma jumped and somersaulted backwards as her father whipped around a round house kick, cleaving the air as it past beneath her. He hissed in frustration, holding his back where she had struck him, hunched forward slightly and panting heavily, the spare tire around his mid section finally catching up with him as sweat dripped off his face and he felt his age.

She circled him the way a predator might, as it watched its prey with hungry eyes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Yukino could see the man's mind racing, trying to remember everything he had taught the girl and everything else had learned from others. A myriad of emotions played across his face; desperation, frustration, exhaustion, and many more. Yukino wondered how hard he had ran himself to get here from Nerima; from the dark circles under his eyes he looked as though he hadn't slept for days.

"You've gotta snap out of this," Genma panted.

Ranma tilted her head ever so slightly as she stepped around him, muscles relaxed but ready to strike at a seconds notice.

"You're not a puppet Ranma, fight her!" he snapped.

At the same time she lashed at him, her small fist slashing around so fast he barely blocked it. He locked his hand around her wrist and hauled her into the air, when her legs wrapped around the length of his arm; before he could blink she had twisted and thrown her body down, wrenching her old man off balance. Genma gaped in surprise as the world turned upside, spinning around him as he flipped fully and slammed into the ground with a heavy thump.

Genma groaned and was starting to rise when Ranma's heel came crashing down on his face.

Ranma flipped up on her feet and spun away from the groaning man, to find Ryoga standing behind her, frowning down at her in that serious way he always did, his dark eyes searching hers for something Yukino knew he wouldn't find. His body shook with the effort of someone struggling to stand up, and she wondered how much damage he had taken; how much his body had actually recovered from Kinnii's attack?

"I don't want to do this Ranma," he said softly. "But you know I will and I won't hold back."

Ranma cocked her head sideways. "Good…"

Without warning she lunged with a fist screaming through the air towards his face, when Ryoga snatched her wrist out of the air, twisted and flung the small framed martial artist through the air. Ranma flipped and twisted through the air, and landed in a crouch against the far wall before springing off again as Ryoga charged across the battle field with a bellowing roar, leaping to meet the red head in mid air. They hung suspended there for a couple of seconds as time seemed to slow down around them, the teenage boy's fist reaching out as the red head twisted around it, her leg rising up and around, and crashed down Ryoga's head.

Gravity clawed at the boy, smashing him into the ground with incredible force, the room shaking with the impact. Ryoga leapt up a second later and charged again as Ranma landed a few feet away, shrugging the attack off as best he could. Ranma dropped into a crouch as he threw a punch out, and shot up, slamming her fist into his chin with a powerful uppercut, when his foot crashed into her mid section. Air exploded up out of her lungs with trails of spit shooting from her lips, her eyes flying open as wide as saucers.

Ryoga staggered backwards as the red head collapsed to her knees, coughing and hacking violently and grabbing at her stomach. Shame and guilt flashed across Ryoga's eyes as he stared at her, a deep self loathing air hanging of him. She looked up at him, glaring dangerously.

"Please Ranma, I don't want to do this to you," there was a desperate pleading tone in his voice, his face soft, yet hard with resolve. "Remember behind the school? I don't want to hurt you!"

Ranma started to rise, her eyes unchanged.

"Ranma," Ryoga said warningly. "Don't…."

The red head lunged heedlessly at him; Ryoga swept his leg up, but at the same time she disappeared. He gaped in surprise, before roaring in agony a second later as sharp stabbing pains rushed up his back. He started to pitch forward when Ranma appeared beneath him with her feet suddenly pressing against arm pits as she separated his legs with her arms and dropped him head first into the ground.

A Umisenken combo attack.

Yukino grinned as she watched Ryoga struggled to get up, the marks left across his back from Ranma's attack were already bruising violently where she had struck with the _Haku Dato Shin Sho_.

Even with his monstrously endurable body, she knew Ryoga hadn't had enough time to recover from Kinnii's attack properly. It was still a weak spot that would hinder him for a while yet to come, despite whatever remedy he had used to heal the wound itself. As long as he kept pushing himself there was only so much it could do to help him.

She was impressed he had made it this far though.

"Ranma…" Ryoga groaned, struggling to raise himself up, panting heavily as the girl stepped in front of him. "…..Please…fight her…."

Ranma stared with cold indifference at the prone teenager, like she was scrutinizing a bug she could crush beneath her heel.

Without a second glance she moved away and stood in front of the stage, turning to look at them all, as if daring them to try anything.

All around her, her friends, beaten and weary watched her in disbelief; of all the outcomes they must have conceived along the way to Aso, this had not been one of them. Failure, Yukino thought, was the companion of the fool unprepared for any situation. They had come, never once considering that they might be faced with this, having to fight the one they were suppose to rescue. Was it simply weariness that slowed them now, or the mental and emotional shock that Ranma had been broken and twisted into the puppet before them now.

Yukino felt the welling of triumphant in her chest as she watched them all, her gaze swinging across each of the fallen fighters; her grip relaxing around the set of needles poised read to strike, sliding them back into the sheaths under her forearm.

She didn't need them now.

Victory was within her grasp at long last and these people couldn't stop her. Nothing would stop her now.

"Can you see now the strength of my conviction?" she cackled, drawing their attention away from the red head. "Can you see the lengths I will go to succeed? My patience? None of you can ever hope to match the strength of my desire and ambition, the unquenchable thirst I've had to live with. Today is the beginning of a new era. I will destroy Jusenkyo once and for all, I will seek out every cursed spring around the world and I will seal them away. And then, one by one, I will cleanse the world of the Cursed Ones, these monsters once and for all, and anyone else that dares stand in my way."

"You're the only monster here!" Nodoka snapped.

"Those willing to do whatever it takes are always called that," Yukino replied softly, her gaze locking with the other woman's.

They stared at her as if she was crazy, but they would never understand so what was the point of trying to explain it to them? They had already made up their minds about her and she had no interest in trying to make them see her point of view. They were selfish little unimportant people that had never endured true pain. Why bother wasting the energy on them?

They were beneath her.

"Why?" Nodoka demanded with hard eyes, her voice tight with fury. "Why would you do all of this? Why are you taking your pain out on everyone around you? People you don't even know!"

Yukino felt her heart lurch, emotions she had locked away years ago threatening to break the chains holding them down. Millions of thought raced through her mind, memories, agonizing memories. She felt a warm tear slip down the side of her cheek, dripping to the ground with an almost audible splat. Rage replaced the anguish in the space of a heart beat, her body beginning to tremble as she found her gaze trying to drill through Nodoka's judging eyes.

"You ask questions you don't have the right to ask," she hissed.

Nodoka's face reddened angrily. "You brain washed my only child and plan to use her to kill countless people. I have all the RIGHT!"

Yukino eyes narrowed. "I am done talking to you. Ranma! Finish this irritating woman off now!"

Cold dread rippled through the gathered fighters as Ranma jerked forth with the mechanical movements of a machine, not a single ounce of hesitation in her distant blank eyes. Nodoka could only stare back and forth between Yukino and Ranma, panic seizing her, her body trembling with a growing fear as her daughter's steps echoed like a death call, each one louder and louder as she drew steadily closer. Yukino felt a rush of adrenalin surge through her, her blood warming with delight as she savored the sweet look of crushing fear hanging around the other woman. Yes this was the perfect way to make the bitch pay for humiliating her, she thought viciously.

Oh the power she felt.

This, she thought, must be what it feels like to be a good.

To hold life and death in one's hand.

She watched as Nodoka stared pleadingly into her daughter's eyes, searching, hoping for some spark of her child that must still be buried within the shell that approached ever closer; but, Yukino knew she would find nothing. When would these people realize that it was over? The old Ranma was gone, torn to shreds and pieced back together the way she wanted her to be. Part of her, a small part, almost felt sorry for the woman, knowing that she was about to be killed in cold blood by the hands of her own flesh and blood.

Nodoka's shoulders sagged heavily, a strange calm settling over her with the realization that it was going to happen, that it was inevitable. A great grieving sadness welled up in her eyes, grief for her daughter, at what must have been done to her to turn her into this. Even still that didn't erase the love that was there, that unconditional forgiveness as she stood tall before the girl, accepting what was about to come.

"I know you're still in there somewhere Ranma," Nodoka said softly. "I know you don't want to do this and I know you can't stop yourself. But please, don't blame yourself for this, please…"

Ranma slowly brought her hands in front of her, ki shimmering between her palms in faint golden light that spilled across the Chinese silk of her clothes as she continued forth, ignoring the horrified sets of eyes glued to her emotionless unresponsive form.

A tear gathered at the corner of Nodoka's eye. "….It's not your fault Ranma."

Ranma started to raise her arms…

"Ranma don't!" Genma shouted, struggling to his feet.

…The light between her palms thickened and pulsed into the form of a swirling sphere of dark gold…

Ryoga, agony tearing through him as he tried to stand reached out at her, as if he could will her to stop. "No Ranma!"

Silence seemed to suddenly blanket the mother and daughter, wrapping them in a bubble that the desperate shouts of the others could not penetrate.

Yukino held her breath in anticipation, victory so close at hand…

"I'm sorry Ranma," Nodoka reached out to touch the girl's cheek, caressing it gently. "I'm so sorry…"

...When Ranma's eyes locked with Nodoka's, and she smirked.

"Don't be," the red head replied calmly, before spinning around and facing Yukino, eyes blazing with hate and triumph, as Yukino's eyes widened in horror, realizing too late what was happening. "Eat this you psychotic bitch! _MOKO TAKABISHA!"_

…The last thing Yukino saw, was a bright beam of golden ki barreling towards her, the roaring explosion drowning out her screams…

….

…

…

…

….

Thick clouds of dirt and dust filled the room, expanding into every crook and cranny as the explosion roared through the base, echoing through the countless tunnels like drawn out rumbles of thunder. The mountain shook and groaned, shuddering tremors coursing through it for the third time that day, with plumes of dust shooting out of fissures and caves and streaming into the air for everyone to see as more and more tunnels collapsed. To innocent, unknowing bystanders it seemed as if the ancient volcano was beginning to stir once more after years of dormancy.

An eternity seemed to crawl by inside the assembly hall, a small cough breaking the silence first, and then another, followed by aching groans and more hacking coughs. The thick choking dust swirled with arms flailing through it, figures moving about trying to find their way, the flaming torches lining the wall still flickering valiantly.

Ranma groaned, rolling on her back and coughed violently, her head thumping with each chest racking cough. Dust was caked across her face and clothes, tiny nicks and scratches weeping crimson trickles and her body aching in places she never knew existed. When this was all over, she was going to soak for a week in a very hot bath she promised herself, and scrub the weeks of grime and filth away she still felt clinging to her.

"_First things first though,_" she thought darkly.

She staggered through the fading cloud of dust and hopped on to the stage, fists clenched tightly as she felt her strength returning anew, suppressed for the kami only knew how long as she suffered again and again under the needle and whatever other torture Yukino could whip out of her imaginative mind. The woman's name alone sent shivers down her spine, evoking a coldness in the pit of stomach she didn't think she would ever be able to rid herself of. Oh how close she had come to breaking only a few hours earlier. She shuddered, remembering the sensation of feeling herself breaking, her very soul cracking under the persistent mind rape Yukino had subjected her to.

How many others had she done the same to, Ranma wondered angrily? How many had she broken?

Never again, she vowed silently.

Yukino would never lay another hand on a single person ever again if she had anything to say about it. No one deserved to be subjected to that. She wouldn't even wish that punishment on Kuno…

…_Kodachi on the other hand_…

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end without warning; Ranma reered back a second before Yukino sliced through the cloud of dust with a small blade with a sudden shriek. The woman pitched forward with the momentum as the blade completely missed its target, spinning and falling into Ranma's arms open arms. She lowered the woman to the ground, flicking away the six inch tanto gripped loosely in her hand. Yukino's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, blood dribbling out of the corner of her mouth, staining the fine fabric of her kimono. Her hair was wild, singed in some places, matted with blood in others, strands plastered to the side of her face and forehead. Her once unblemished skin was covered in countless cuts and scrapes, her creamy skin stained with crimson. Ranma glanced at the wall a few feet away, at the star pattern of blood splattered across the rock and the streak sliding down the wall.

Slowly she pulled her hand away from the back of the woman's head, a sticky sucking sound accompanying it as she stared at the red mess coating her hand, before turning her attention back to the woman, keeping her a face a calm unreadable mask, even though she wanted to rip into her with her bare hands.

Yukino looked a mess, nothing like the conservative and calm Japanese Princess she had first appeared to be.

She just looked wild now…

…She looked broken.

Yukino glared up at her, body trembling slightly as she asked one simple question: "How?"

Ranma glanced around, suddenly aware of the others climbing the stage and gathering closer with tentative cautious steps. They all looked as bad as she felt, sweaty and filthy, bruised and bloodied. She had never been more grateful for such a strange collection of friends and family in her entire life.

She looked back down at the woman in her arms, watched as she breathed raggedly and sighed.

"I used the Soul of Ice training I received when I learnt the _Hiryu Shoten Ha_," she explained, calmly, slowly. "I don't think it was ever meant for this, but it hit me that your brainwashing techniques relied on getting me into an emotional state that you could break. So I used the Soul of Ice to devoid myself of all emotions. It wasn't easy either, I had to do it slowly so I didn't raise any suspicions, but I knew you thought you already had me at a place where I was ready to crack and you wanted to break me so badly you blinded yourself. Once I had you believing I was broken, I just kept using the Soul of Ice so I wouldn't respond emotionally to your _programming_ and you just kept believing my act. I even got you to use your acupuncture junk to restore my strength…most of it anyway. I didn't count on you chaining me up, and then all this happened and I saw my only chance to end this once and for all. I just had to wait for the right moment."

"Why the act then?" she nearly glanced over her shoulder at Akane's question; from the sound of her tone the feisty Tendo daughter didn't know if she should be angry or confused, or both.

"Because I needed her to believe she was winning and drop her guard," she replied, lifting one of Yukino's arms without resistance and removed the leather sheath holding dozens of acupuncture needles attached behind her wrist, and stared back at Yukino. "Because I didn't want to risk giving you the chance to get any of us with this crap; I know how good a shot you are after all."

"Damn you," the woman hissed hatefully with tears streaming down the side of her face. "Damn you to hell!"

Ranma ignored that remark with little more than a frown she said: "I answered your question, now you answer mine. Why? Why did you do all this? What was so horrible that you were willing to kill countless innocent people to satisfy your blood lust? I have to know how you can justify what you did to me, what I know you've done to others that were unfortunate enough to be given to you."

Yukino sneered and turned her head away.

Only for Ranma to calmly jam her thumb painfully into the woman's jaw, eliciting a surprised scream of pain, and snarled: "Tell me now!"

"Your filthy kind killed my son!" Yukino screeched, a heart wrenching sound like a wounded animal, tears of anguish and rage streaming down her face. "They killed my Keijirou! He was so kind and gentle, he never hurt anyone in his entire life and they killed him…a ten year old little boy!"

Her ravings, her rants, the pain and rage that was so clear in her eyes suddenly made so much sense. The dark grief she harbored within herself and vented on her victims, the pain of a parent that had outlived their child. It silenced everyone as they tried to imagine that. Ranma could almost feel sorry for her, but not after what she had done. There was a line you didn't cross, and Yukino had crossed it long ago with all the demons she carried. The grief that the woman refused to let go of, had twisted her into a creature that could only understand pain.

"And this is the way you honor your son's memory?" Ranma glanced up as Nodoka crouched on the other side of them, frowning down at the other woman. "You said your son was a kind and gentle boy, and you honor his memory by inflicting pain on others and continuing this cycle of hate and death? Imagine the shame he would feel, knowing what you've done."

"I had no choice," Yukino hissed, her voice wavering with emotion, even as she winced with agony etching her features. "No one would do anything. No one believed he died the way I told them. No one believed that a demon had killed my son. They thought it was a wild animal and refused to do anything. My son deserved justice I vowed I would make sure he got it!"

"At what cost?" Nodoka asked sadly, shaking her head. "How many mothers and fathers have you made endure the same heartache that you experienced? How many people have you killed that didn't ask to be cursed and just wanted to be left alone? Yes, your son deserved justice, but he wouldn't have wanted you to turn into the monster that you have. I can only imagine the pain you must feel, that emptiness inside you that you can't fill, but that doesn't give you the right to do what you've done."

Yukino snarled violently. "What would you know! You have your family, you don't have to struggle through each day with the memory of your dead child hanging over your head… So don't you dare stand there and judge me when you haven't got a clue as to what real suffering is you silly little housewife!"

Nodoka was unmoved by the woman's outburst, instead she looked pointedly at Ranma as she said: "And hopefully I never will."

Ranma couldn't help but think about what her mother had endured in her own way for the twelve years she had been alone. How many times had she sat alone in that house and wondered where her son was, or whether or not he was ok? Ranma knew the pain Yukino was suffering was beyond compare, but she couldn't help but think her mother's own pain during that time was just as bad, not knowing whether she was alive or dead. Not for the first time she wished she could turn back time for her mom and spare her all that.

Yukino tensed without warning, fist gripping the black silk of Ranma's blouse, groaning as her body shuddered violently. She glared up into Ranma's sad pitying blue eyes with such hatred, that the red head felt like ice was flowing through her veins…

"This…..is far from over," the woman warned seriously, before breaking off into a deranged cackle, eyes starting to lose their focus. "It is only just beginning!"

…And like that, the woman's body went limp and her eyes slid shut.

…Nodoka calmly pressed two fingers against the other woman's neck, then looked up at them. "She's still alive."

Everyone was silent for the longest time, staring down at the woman and battling with their anger and the pity they felt for her. The woman would have killed them without a second thought but they all knew that if they didn't feel some sadness for her, they were just as bad as her. Ranma most of all fought the rage burning violently in her chest, screaming for release, but she hushed it with a mental sigh.

It was being unable to let go of her rage and grief that had warped Yukino.

Well the cycle of hate and pain ended here.

Of everyone present, she was entitled most to the anger and pain she felt, after everything that had happened to her, but what was the point? She couldn't hurt Yukino, not really. She couldn't make the woman suffer anymore than she already had, if it was at all possible for her to experience suffering anymore. No, making her pay was a pointless waste of energy. Like with Ryoga, she had to let go of her anger towards Yukino, otherwise it would eat her up just as it had before.

She couldn't go through that again.

"We'll leave her at the closest hospital or whatever," she told them with a firm tone that left no room for argument.

"You realize she could come after you again if she survives?" her father pointed out unnecessarily.

"I know," Ranma sighed as she stood up. "But she won't be the first person I've made an enemy of. I'm kind of used to it by now, besides one more enemy isn't going to make much of a difference is it?"

She glanced once more at Yukino before she started to turn around

"… Come on, I wanna get out of this pla–"

Ryoga bonked her across the top of the head with a hard smack before she had time to even blink. Her vision temporarily vanished in a flash of mild pain, freezing her more in shock than anything else, in place for a second as she reeled from the fact that he had just hit her. He didn't hit her as hard as he could have and she knew it, but he hit her hard enough that she felt it.

Anger flashed through her as she snapped her head up.

"What the hell was that for you jerk!" she demanded and punched him hard in the chest, and struggled not to wince as her hand impacted against his rock hard body with a dull thump, bones crunching together in her fingers.

"What was that for? You attacked us when we could have helped you!" he snapped incredulously at her as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "That's what that's for you ungrateful brat. You should have had more faith in us."

Ranma pursed her lips defensively. "I told you I couldn't risk her getting any of you with her needles. You should be thanking m– OWW!" he smacked her over the head again. "Stop doing that!"

"_You_ should be thanking _us,_" Ryoga growled, his fists shaking. "After everything we went through to rescue yo–"

"Ohhhh so that's what this is about," she cut him off and slammed her hands on her hips with an exaggerated huff. "Well why don't I just go back to my cage so _the man_ can do the rescuing! Do you want me to act all gushy and helpless and bubbly for you while I'm at it you big strong _man_ you!"

"Now you're just being stupid," he rolled his eyes.

Ranma bristled at that, eyes blazing dangerously. "So now I'm stupid am I? Well aint that just the pot calling the kettle black!"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh don't pretend you don't know what I mean. You can't even find your way out of a house without someone to hold your hand! If I didn't have to take you back to that stupid camp of yours I wouldn't have even been in this mess in the first place. If any thing you should be on your hands and knee's begging for forgiveness!"

"You arrogant lit– If it wasn't for me your scrawny little body would have been cut in two! You should be thanking me!"

"Scrawny? You take that back!"

"Make me!"

"Why you good for nothing pi–"

Ranma jerked violently, mouth opening in a silent scream, eyes widening as a burning sensation erupted at the base of her skull and spread out in fiery waves. She heard the thump of her own heart beat in her ears, like the deafening rumble of drums, her blood surging as her limps grew heavy, her knees weakening and pitching her forward into the arms of a stunned and horrified looking Ryoga. She heard the dull sounds of the others shouting in alarm, her mother racing towards her with cries of panic.

She felt Ryoga's hands tighten around her shoulder as he lowered her to the ground, his words bleeding into the noise of other voices as her head lulled weakly to the side, seeing the others rushing towards Yukino, the woman struggling and laughing maniacally.

Ranma looked back up, her mother looking down at her along with Ryoga as he yanked a needle out of the back of her neck, staring at the small droplets of blood that dripped off the end. She stared back at them with fear, darkness creeping in from the corners of her vision and the all the sound around her starting to leak away.

The last thing she heard…

…was the spine chilling sound of Yukino's victorious cackles, ushering her into the silent darkness…

…_**To Be Continued**_

**A/N:**

**AWWW you bastard, why would you do that! Why would you end it like that after all this lead up! That's what you're thinking right? :P**

**Well the simple answer is….well I am a bastard ^^**

**The other answer is this was always going to happen since I first wrote out the summary for the Delicate Touch chapter, although the ending has changed slightly, it wasn't meant to end on that kind of a cliff hanger, but here we are ^^;**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter though. Of the last four chapters this was certainly my favorite one, and not just because it was the last of the Delicate Touch chapters XD**

**No I had fun writing this one, although the Ranma vs. the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew fight gave me a little bit of a headache. Of all those fighters, the only one that she'd have any trouble with in female form would be Ryoga because of his monstrous endurance. I chose the Umisenken attack because for the most part that attack bypasses the issue of strength and endurance as the attack strikes pressure points directly, and with Ryoga's already somewhat weakened state its more than a possibility that it would work.**

**I could have made the whole fight a lot longer than I did, but I chose to keep it short primarily because I was running on empty and secondly because I didn't want the chapter to become ungodly long again.**

**Anyway, I've already started work on ch13 and should hopefully have it finished by the end of next week at the absolute earliest at this point.**

**Oh and I whipped up this the other night…**

**.net/fs70/f/2010/054/a/6/Ran_chan_and_Ryoga_by_**

**Now, 200 reviews might not be a lot to some writers, but its more than I've ever gotten for a single story and especially in such a short amount of time. It took a good 5 years to get just 81 reviews for my Sailor Moon story Tainted Warriors, so getting 200 reviews for a story that I only started a few months ago is a BIG deal for me, so to everyone that's taken the time to review, thank you ^_^**

**I actually hope to have some more pictures done for Tabula Rasa in time…**

**Anyway, back to work on ch13 ^_^**

**Cya's next time ^_^**


	13. Chapter 13: Out of Character! Pt 1

**A/N:**

**Here it is, Chapter 13 and only a week and a day late from when I promised it!**

**Had a really hard time getting into this chapter, mostly because comedy and drama are hard to pull off at the best of times, but together its even harder, so I hope this chapter comes off the way I want it to. I've been told it does by a friend, but I'll let all of you decide that.**

**Little update, the next chapter might take a little bit to finish, I'm gonna be fairly busy for the next two weeks, although I hope to still get some significant work done on the next chapter in my spare time. I'm also hoping that a job opportunity has come my way as well.**

**Anyway, on with the chapter….**

Chapter 13

_Out of Character!_

_Ranma's a What?_

Prologue

Moonlight played across the grounds as the dark clouds drifted lazily across the sky, sliding past the glowing orb and sending shadows skittering through the grass over trees and across ponds. The water rippled and splashed as koi swam to the surface and swallowed unsuspecting insects. The men, armed with traditional weapons crossing the small bridge, barely even noticed the beauty of the estate they protected anymore. The house looming before them was more like a mansion, surrounded by incredible gardens, meticulously hand-shaped trees of twisting branches and built over a large body of water that rippled with the breeze and lapped at the beams holding the house up. It looked as though it could have been taken straight out of history.

It held within its walls and light lit windows, a presence of old enduring power and wealth. It was almost like the echoes of time could be heard throughout the home; the whispers of events long since passed that had become part of the house itself.

The man stood on the veranda gazing out at the night drenched grounds of the estate, his kimono was pulled open in the front though closed from the waist down revealing a tightly muscled abdomen as he savoured the feel of the breeze against his bare skin and ruffling his full head of thick grey flecked black hair. He had lost count of the years he had stood at this place, staring as he did now at his families land. He wondered how many more years he had left of this, before his days came to an end, he passed everything on to his heir.

He frowned, wincing as he felt the tension pulled at his forehead.

He was starting to feel his age.

Times had changed beyond the estate, and some of those changes had reached here. Modern upgrades to his family's otherwise unchanged traditional home. Security gates had been installed, state of the art surveillance systems. The estate was over three hundred years old and had endured the tests of time, and they had to keep up with the changing of business. Sometimes he thought it was a miracle they had survived this long, but then again, that's what they did best.

They survived.

For all their wealth and power though, there was still things they could not cheat or spare their loved ones from.

Suffering.

The embers raced down the length of his cigarette, devouring the white cylinder before the smoke exhaled from his mouth and nose with a heavy sigh; sadness and resignation crept into his gaze, threatening to break him as it nearly had on many occasions. Memories of another time playing through his mind but now they felt like they belonged to someone else.

Age brought with it many things, but there were just some things that even old warhorses like him couldn't endure sometimes.

"When did you return Shota?"

He knew without turning that the man was there, crouching in the shadows like a silent wraith all clad in black; he had known Shota for so long now that he could sense the ninja's protective presence. Ever the faithful servant, he knew he could rely on Shota's skills to accomplish almost any task set before him.

"Only a few minutes ago Hiroji-sama," the man replied calmly, his tone devoid of all emotions. "I tried to return as fast as I could, as I knew you would want to hear this as soon as possible."

This time he did turn, surprise registering in his eyes.

"I know where she is…"

….

…

…

…

….

_The air was thick with the scent of heated earth and boiling water; overpowering and suffocating, the stagnant heat searing the tongue and throat, drying the mouth till lips cracked and lungs rasped with the effort to breathe. The ceiling dripped with condensation as vapours of steam danced and intertwined beneath it, rising out of the bubbling, spitting lake far below. It was so hard to breathe, the heat was everywhere, the burning was inescapable, constantly sizzling the soles of feet as they stepped across the slick rocky paths, or the palms of hands as they reached out to rest, bracing themselves against the walls. Sweat trickled down flesh, saturated clothing and hair and causing them to stick uncomfortably to the body._

_It was hell…_

_Jagged spikes of rock tore up out of the ground, the razor sharp edges glistening with water against the fire light. Steam wove through narrow gaps, twisting up and around spikes and an almost eerie illusion of free will, like they had a soul. This was a playground of nightmarish nature, a place where monsters could live when they didn't stalk the darkened space beneath children's beds._

_Voices captured by drafts of wind barrelling through the winding passageways, whispered through the dark, sliding along the unyielding walls and seemed to come from everywhere at once, a constant reminder that you were never alone. Just because you couldn't see the eyes following you, didn't mean they weren't there. No, someone was always watching, waiting for someone to intrude upon this sacred of places where so many lives had come to a sudden end over the passing years._

_Ranma staggered through clouds of steam, her naked body glistening all over with sweat, her eyes wild and desperate as she gasped for breath. Her lungs felt as though they were going to explode, the pathetic amount air she drew down into them barely enough to satisfy her body's need to live. Her throat ached for the soothing kiss of cool liquid, lips and tongue dry and cracked._

_A rock bit viciously into her foot; the girl gasped and stumbled forward, crashing on hands knees inches from the edge of the lake, skin tearing against the hard ground, arms wobbling weakly before she just let herself collapse against the hot rocks. Blue eyes gazed as the fine layer of condensation across the ground, mind racing with sudden possibilities before her tongue darted out in desperation and she licked at the ground like a frenzied animal driven by the will to survive. _

_Her cheeks, already flushed with heat darkened a shade or two with shame, wincing against the stagnant taste of the inadequate liquid, her lips and tongue drying faster than she could wet them._

_She rolled on to her side, drawing her knees to her chest and sobbed…not that any tears rolled down her face, they dried around the edges of her eye lids before they even got that far._

_Ranma…_

_The voice echoed like a ghostly whisper, so quiet that she barely heard it over the hissing lake only inches away._

…_Ranma!_

_It was more forcible this time, piercing the wall of despair that wrapped around her mind. She uncurled herself from the foetal position, slowly rising on to her stinging knees and looking around for the source of the voice._

_Ranma…!_

_She frowned; the voice was so close, yet it felt so far away. Her skin prickled at the sound though, and she found her gaze gliding towards the lake in front of her. A shudder ran through her, silently urging her forward, wincing as crimson tears spilled from her knees. Steam blasted up at her face, searing heat that stung her eyes and nose._

…_Ranma!_

_The voice sounded closer, stronger. Curiosity and fear surged through her, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she realized too late that she was starting to lean closer…_

"_Ranma!" she lurched back in alarm and whipped her head around to see Ryoga racing towards her. "Get away from there!"_

…_Without warning a hand exploded out of the bubbling lake and clamped around her throat. Ranma screamed and tried to pry the hand away, but its grip tightened around her neck till it felt like her head would pop off. The flesh along the hand was red and bloated, blistered and bleeding and in some parts skin had slipped away to reveal boiled bone._

_A second hand emerged from the water, slapping against the hard rock with a sickly squish. Ryoga's strides echoed like thunder claps, slowing down with each passing second as her eyes widened in terror at the monstrosity that started to rise from the water before her. A single eye dangled from the optic nerve, the skin boiled away around the other as it stared unblinking at her. The hand tightened around her neck more, sharp bony digits piercing flesh._

_Its bloated mouth gaped open in a horrible gurgling moan as chunks of flesh around its jaw slid free with a squelching sucking sound and hit the water with a loud plop. _

"_Join me!"_

_Ranma screamed as she was yanked forward into the boiling lake_…

… and shot awake in bed.

Her body shook like a leaf, hands trembling horribly as they bunched up the blanket in front of her like it was some sort of protective shield she could wrap herself in. Sweat trickled off her forehead, running into her eye wide blue eyes and stinging them as her lips caught the salty beads perspiration as they dripped off her nose and on to her lip. Cold terror clawed through her as she peered around the room with careful, cautious slowness; slowly realizing that the room she was in was a hospital room.

_A Dream….._that's all it was, she realized in disbelief, swallowing dryly.

She hesitantly felt her neck, shivering as the skin tingled where the hand had grabbed her. She could still feel it, like the tough of a phantom; it made her stomach roll with revulsion.

It had felt so real, so vivid, the heat all around her burning her lungs, suffocating and the touch of the bloated slimy fingers against her flesh…

She swallowed back the lump of bile that rose in the back of her throat.

…_Join me…_

With a shudder she forced the dream to the back of her mind, the monsters words echoing through her head.

Even still, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking…

A clock on the far wall above a tv attached to brackets ticked loudly, its pristine white casing illuminated by the moonlight that spilled in through the window across the walls and floor. Ranma shivered as chill found its way through the open back of the hospital gown, leaving her feeling strangely vulnerable. She wrapped her arms around herself and drew her knees up as she turned her thoughts to the missing piece of her memory. Was she back in Nerima? How much time had passed? Were the others safe? What had Yukino done to her….?

The questions came in an endless rush she knew she couldn't answer.

"Are you alright miss?"

Ranma jumped in fright, whirling around in the bed as her muscles tensed on instinct, her own startled movements making the nurse standing at the door, clip board clutched in front of her chest jump in alarm.

A second later the woman started into the room, switching the light on. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. I noticed your heart monitor change slightly a moment ago on our feed in the nurse's station and thought I should check to make sure you were alright."

Still feeling a little disorientated and shaky it took Ranma a couple of seconds more to finally notice the clip attached to one of her fingers and the wire running from it to the machine next to her bed. Then she noticed myriad of gauze pads covering her arms and felt the ones on her legs and the rest of her body, knowing immediately that they were covering the contact burns from the electroshock treatments.

Why hadn't she noticed that before…?

"_Are_ you alright Miss Saotome?" the nurse asked again, concern reflected in her eyes as she checked the machine.

Ranma faltered a couple of seconds longer, before she managed to find her voice again.

"Ah, yeah; Just a bad dream…Um, how long have I been here for?"

"Your parents admitted you four days ago," she explained. "You were badly dehydrated when they brought you in. The doctor's couldn't wake you, they thought you were in some sort of coma at first, but I heard them saying that it was like you were just asleep. I don't think they believed your parents about what happened, but then again it was a pretty wild story…"

The red head gave a nurse a long look, imagining from her point of view how insane it must have all sounded. Sometimes she forgot that not everyone was indoctrinated as heavily as she and her friends were in the world of martial arts. As horrible as everything had been that had happened to her, it wasn't like she hadn't come to expect crazy stuff happening to her. A crazy day to her was one where crazy things didn't happen to her. She wondered if that was a bad thing, that her life had spun so wildly out of control in the last couple of years that she was used to it now…

"…Well, I'll let you get back to sleep. The doctor will be around to see you first thing in the morning. I'll ring your parents to let them know you're awake ok. Your mother will be so glad, she's barely left your side since you were admitted."

Ranma barely heard her; a simple slight nod was all she managed before the young woman turned and left, switching the light off as she did and plunging the room into moonlit brilliance. Slowly she laid back, staring silently at the ceiling, absently counting the tiles as she tried not to think of the nightmare. Instead her thoughts inevitably turned to Yukino, the woman's sadistic smile permanently carved into her mind. Maybe it had been a mistake to let her live. It wasn't as if she didn't deserve to die, after all what was the old saying? Two wrongs don't make a right. What about three wrongs then? Did the same still apply or was it justified at that point?

What if there was someone else in Yukino's life though that wanted to help her, who would be devastated and driven insane with grief and the desire for revenge? Seriously when did it end? In theory the whole eye for an eye thing worked great, it was fair and satisfying, but when did it stop? The cycle would only begin again and she would only justify Yukino's xenophobic fear and hate of those cursed as Jusenkyo.

Hate begets hate.

It was as simple as that and she refused to be the person to throw more fuel on that fire. But, if Yukino so much as touched a hair on the head of anyone she knew and cared for, she wouldn't live long enough enjoy it; the consequences be damned. Yukino had a choice, and if she made the wrong one than that was her fault and no one else's; Ranma would not feel guilty about what happened next.

She sighed, and closed her eyes.

"_This…..is far from over. It is only just beginning!"_

Her eyes flew open again at the memory of Yukino's words, her voice drifting through her mind like an eerie whisper on the wind, warping into the mad woman's insane cackling. She found herself wondering though, what had they done to the woman when the psycho had knocked her out?

Ranma scratched at the back of neck before she irritably rolled on to her side and drew the blankets around herself, burrowing into them until only her sparkling blues peeked over the edge, trying to take comfort in the warm it gave her after weeks of sleeping in a cold cave/cell without even this small simple luxury. But there was no comfort, no warmth; only the cold dread that came with the knowledge that Yukino didn't make threats…

…only promises.

...

...

Four Days Later

...

...

The sky was a brilliant unbroken blanket of blue, not a single cloud in sight as birds little more than black specks silhouetted against the azure backdrop sped across the Nerima ward. Winter seemed to have been banished for however long the sun decided to rain down its shower of warmth. Save for the persistent chill in the breeze that buckled dark green blades of grass and rustled leafs, it could have been spring. It was beautiful Akane thought as she gazed upward, letting the roar of school life settle into a drone of white noise at the back of her mind.

This weather could stay for as long as it wanted to she thought.

As much as she enjoyed the occasional journey beyond Tokyo, sometimes even Japan, it was good to be home. She enjoyed the adventure of it, seeing all the beautiful scenery and interesting places you could wind up in, but at the end of the day it comforted her to know that she had a home to return to. Although, the recent journey to Mt. Aso had settled once and for all in her mind that she needed to improve her fighting skills.

Without warning a pair of chopsticks snatched something from her bento box, her eyes barely catching the blur of movement.

"Hey!" she whined indignantly as Ranma gobbled down the bite size morsel of food in the blink of an eye. "Stop stealing my food!"

The red head cleared her throat with an repentant gleam in her eyes. "A true martial artist never let's down their guard, especially when food is involved. In other words stop day dreaming."

It sounded like a well rehearsed speech, and she supposed Ranma had heard it more times than anyone could count in her years spent living on the road with her father. It sounded exactly like something Genma would have said, one of the stable philosophies of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. One glance at Ukyo and she could tell the okonomiyaki chef was thinking the exact same thing.

Some things would never change.

Akane returned her attention to the red head, watching the girl obliviously devourer her lunch in the typical Saotome manner; like it was going to be the last meal she ever had. It had barely been a month since the last time Ranma had tried returning to the school and the fiasco that had ensured, but it was impossible not to notice the dramatic difference between the Ranma of a month ago and the one sitting across from her. There was no tension in the way she held herself, no wariness in her eyes or the way she moved. She seemed to ignore the scathing looks most of the other girls gave her and endured the gawking boys. It wasn't even isolated to today; she had noticed the difference in the red head after she had been released from the hospital and given a clean bill of health.

"What?" Ranma didn't even look up from her food as the question slip past a mouthful of food and through her lips.

Akane scratched at the side of her head a little sheepishly. "Nothing…I was just thinking that you seem different."

Ranma tilted her head sideways a blank stare. "Different in what way?"

"Well Sugar, you don't seem like you want to run away and hide from the world in your room for starters," Ukyo added lightly, ignoring the indignant look from the red head that followed. "And, you just seem happier, more sure of yourself than we've seen you since everything that's happened. It's good though, it suits you."

Ranma smiled. "Well, I guess I just feel good. I'm alive and it's a beautiful day, my family is back together again, which does feel a little weird, but in a good way. The Jusenkyo Preservation Society is gone and that's one more enemy I can cross off my list. I suppose it would be easy to wallow around in self pity and let all of the gawking, drooling guy's get to me, but I'm tired of that. What I was doing before wasn't living; it was hiding, pure and simple. I guess I just had a lot of time to think about all of it while that bitch had me locked up, made me think about how lucky I am and should start to appreciate life more."

The red head paused to shovel down more rice, oblivious to the grains stuck around her mouth.

"What did happen to Yukino?" she asked finally.

Akane glanced quickly at Ukyo, feeling that familiar chill shoot through her whenever she thought of that horrible woman.

"Mom and Pops won't tell me nothin about what happened after she knocked me out, only that yah's all rushed me back to Tokyo as quickly as you could and that I don't need to worry about her anymore. I'm not worried about her, I just wanna know what happened," Ranma continued.

"Cologne took care of her," Ukyo said finally.

Ranma screwed up her face. "Took care of her? What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said." Ukyo quickly popped a nori roll into her mouth and diverted her eyes. "It's probably best not to think about her too much Ranma, she caused you so much grief why worry about her now."

The red head frowned. "I'm not worried about her. I just don't want my karma screwed up because of her."

"Oh Sugar, your karma was screwed up long before she came along," Ukyo laughed.

Akane couldn't help but share the chef's amusement as Ranma glared indignantly at them, before her expression broke into smile and laughter followed soon after, catching Akane by surprise. She had heard Ranma laugh out of sheer arrogance and pride, and even nervousness, but rarely if ever had she heard her laugh in genuine amusement, let alone at her own expense. Ranma had always been too concerned about _his_ manly image to let loose like this in the company of other girls, not ones she knew personally, not the ones that knew she had really been a guy. This Ranma though didn't seem concerned at all. She would admit though that things felt, easier, around her ex-fiancé now.

That wasn't something she was proud of though, but it was true. There were no expectations of them anymore; they didn't have to worry about the meddlesome if not well meaning fathers trying to sucker them into marrying one another anymore. Not that she wouldn't have minded marrying Ranma when they were a little older; if he even wanted to be with her that was and not Ukyo or Shampoo; and perhaps after he had grown up a bit more too. No Ranma was a good person, had be caring when the situation called for and would have gone to the ends of the earth for her if she'd needed him to.

...No.

She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. It wasn't going to do her any good to dwell on things that couldn't be changed. And it wouldn't be fair on Ranma either to be reminded of what she had lost, not when she seemed to be finally making some real progress at moving on with her life.

"You know, I had this strange dream when I was in hospital," Ranma said after the laughter died down and they'd gone back to enjoying the break between classes. She described it all in terrifying detail; right down to the mutilated creature that Akane was pretty certain would be featuring in her own nightmares for a while to come now.

The red head frowned as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle. "The weird thing about it though was that it was in that place with the Jewel, the Brotherhood's sanctuary or whatever it was called. It felt so real though, I could feel its slimy skin on mine, and the heat all around me...it was so disgusting."

"Well that was traumatic place for you," Ukyo replied softly. "Is it any wonder that your mind chose that place to set a nightmare in? I wouldn't be surprised if you had nightmares about Mt. Aso too eventually. They're only nightmares though; I wouldn't let them bother you too much."

"Yeah, I know, something about it just feels weird, like it was too real or something. You're right though, it's just a stupid nightmare," Ranma agreed, then smiled again. "Besides, it's not like Kuno hasn't given me worse nightmares before."

Akane and Ukyo shuddered at the thought of the swordsman.

"Where is that fool anyway, I haven't seen him around," Ranma added.

"He's still recovering from the injuries Ryoga caused," Ukyo explained as she finished off the last of her lunch. "Ryoga did a real number on him after he called you a cowered."

Akane blinked a couple of times, almost doing a double take in the process as she stared at the red head, in disbelief. No, it couldn't be, it was ridiculous she thought, watching as Ranma suddenly hung her head, not daring to meet either of them in the eye and suddenly looking a whole lot smaller than what she really was; but Akane was sure she had seen it, seen the way Ranma's eyes had widened ever so slightly and colour twinged her cheeks pink.

Ranma had blushed!

She looked over Ukyo, but if the okonomiyaki chef had noticed anything, she didn't show it as she leaned back on her hands and gazed at the sky. Akane shook her head thinking suddenly how stupid it was, it was absolutely ridiculous.

She was imagining things…

….

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….

The school bell ended as abruptly as it had started, leaving Ranma's ears ringing as she unbuttoned her blouse and stared into the locker in front of her at the gym uniform, sighing inwardly at the thought of wearing it again. Maybe that's why she was undressing as slowly as she did, despite knowing that she didn't have long before all the other girls showed up and realized that she had beaten them to the locker room this time. Akane and Ukyo didn't seem to notice her hesitation as they started to pull their own uniforms on.

"_Just get it over with Saotome,"_ the voice in her head sighed wearily.

Ranma shook her head and stripped her shirt and pants off, leaving her in only her bra and panties as she folded the clothes and stuck them inside the locker and removed the others. Just get it over and done with as quickly as possible she told herself, she didn't need something as silly as clothes ruining her good mood, after all Akane and Ukyo put up with the embarrassing uniform, so could she. Although she still didn't understand why the guys got to wear decent clothes and the girls got stuck with this.

At least it didn't have a skirt, she allowed.

She found herself smiling as she pulled the uniform on, wondering what her problem was; she had worn things far more embarrassing than this in the past. This was tame compared to some of those outfits. It made her want to laugh, thinking about how ridiculous she was being; after all they were just clothes. It wasn't like wearing them was going to kill her or anything. It was little things like this though that she had noticed since she'd left the hospital, little things that had bothered her before now seemed so trivial. She still didn't care for them, but her dislike of them had drastically lessened.

She knew one thing though; she felt better than she had in a long time. All the stress and worry that had weighed down on her before had been lifted from her shoulders; she felt like a normal person again, she felt real. It felt like she had been asleep for so long and someone had finally woken her up. She saw all her anxieties for what they were; pointless and a waste of time. Ever since she felt like she was bursting with energy, she could feel it surging through her veins like hot fiery power trying to find an escape. It was like everything was a brand new experience, just waiting to be experienced.

What was it that Ukyo had told her a few weeks ago? As long as you're happy, that's all that matters?

Well, today was a new day and she was going to be happy…...

"What are _you_ doing in here!"

Ranma glanced over her shoulder to see Sayori and a bunch of other girls standing inside the locker room doors, some scowling at her, others looking nervous. Sayori was the one she focused on those, watching the other girl's face twist angrily as their eyes locked.

Inwardly she sighed.

She went back to getting dressed. "What does it look like?"

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear last time! You don't use the locker room before us you filthy little pervert!" Sayori raged, storming past Ukyo and Akane like they weren't even there. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, but I'm choosing to ignore you, your voice kinda grates after a few seconds," Ranma retorted, hearing more than a couple of snickers from the other girls. "I'm almost done anyway."

"You are _not_ one of us!" Sayori snarled, standing to the side of her now.

"Would you please stick a cork in it? You're starting to give me a headache" Ranma replied in exasperation, wondering what it took for this girl to get a clue.

Even Akane wasn't this thick at the worst of times.

"You listen to me you little bitch!" Sayori snatched her wrist, digging sharp fingernails painfully into her flesh.

Ranma however gave her a steady look. "Get your hand off me."

Sayori sneered. "Or you'll wha– ACK!"

Sayori was suddenly on her knees in front of the red head, her arm twisted behind her back and wrenched up dangerously close to breaking point. Ranma stood over her, frowning ominously at the vile tempered girl in front of her, ignoring the startled gasps of the others gathered about the locker room. Sayori screeched in pain as she pressed her foot into the girl's back, applying just enough pressure to sent shooting arcs of fiery pain through her.

"Ok, we're going to have a little chat," Ranma hissed. "You really are a pathetic person Sayori, you think you can get your way by chucking a tantrum every time something happens that you don't like don't you? Well that doesn't work on me, and you don't scare me either. Now me, I can snap your arm in so many places it'll never heal, and you'll just be left with a useless lump of flesh dangling from your shoulder; does that scare you?"

"Please! I'm sorry!" Sayori cried. "Don't hurt me!"

Ranma sneered, but didn't let go. "Things are going to change aren't they Sayori? You're going to start being nicer to people and you're going to do the smartest thing you've ever done and that's leave me the hell alone, you understand? I don't care about your insecurities and I don't care what you think of me, but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere and I'm going to use this locker room the same as everyone else from now on and you're not going to say a damn thing about it are you? Because frankly, you haven't got anything worth looking at and certainly nothing I haven't already seen before. Now, I'm going to let go of you, finish changing, and you're never going to get up in my face ever again, are we clear on that?"

"Yes! Please let go!" the girl cried desperately, tears streaming down her face.

Ranma let go of the girl's wrist, letting her crash forward in a heap as she clutched at the aching limb; she turned her back on the sobbing girl with a cold indifferently, finished changing and with an eerie calm, she walked out of the locker room like nothing had happened, the cheery smile returning to her lips as the other girls scrambled to get out of her way…

…Leaving Akane and Ukyo gaping in disbelief.

Yes, today was a brand new day…

….

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…

…

….

The late afternoon sun hung tiredly in the sky, the blue canvas already beginning to turn a pinkish twinge as the glowing orb began its slow descent towards the horizon, a cold wind starting to pick up as dark clouds moved in from the other direction. Winter was returning to reclaim its days; the chill settling into everything, though if Ranma noticed she didn't show it.

Akane stared at the back of the girl's head as she walked along the canal fence, book bag dangling from her hands resting behind the back of her head as stared obliviously at the sky. Images of Sayori on her knees crying in pain and Ranma looming over her flashed across her mind, the dark ominous look in the red head's eyes seared into her memories. It was enough to send a shiver through her, but not nearly as much as the way Ranma acted afterwards, like nothing had happened.

It wasn't that Sayori didn't have it coming, but that Ranma had actually retaliated that way was what really surprised her. All the times Ranma had sprouted on about not wanting to hit girls and that it wasn't manly; but, she had to remind herself Ranma wasn't a guy anymore so maybe that's how Ranma had seen it as well in this case.

Something about it though nagged at her.

It was one thing to scare Sayori, to threaten her, but to act like nothing had even happened afterwards was not like the Ranma she knew.

"What was that all about Ranma?" she asked hesitantly. "With Sayori I mean. I've never seen you act that way with another girl before."

Ranma shrugged nonchalantly. "What did you expect me to do? She was out of line and starting to piss me off. She needed to be put in her place and none of them were going to start taking me seriously if I didn't make a stand. Sayori was unfortunate enough to be the ring leader and to have the stupidity of thinking she could scare me with a loud voice. I didn't like doing what I did, but how else do you expect a stuck up cow like her to learn. Besides, I wasn't going to let her ruin my good mood."

Akane couldn't argue the logic of that. Some people didn't respond to anything less than intimidation and Sayori was used to getting her own way. She was a spoilt brat who got whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. If Ranma hadn't have taken a stand there and then, Sayori would have kept going on with her stupidity, now she would be too scared to even look at Ranma the wrong way, let alone rally the other girls to her side.

"Still…it's just not like you is all," she added.

"I guess I'm not the same person I used to be," Ranma leapt down next to her, landing with the grace of a cat, grinning mischievously. "Besides, it's not like you haven't settled petty arguments with violence before."

Akane felt her face flush, the familiar urge to deck the red head returning in an instant.

"We're not talking about me!" she snapped.

Ranma laughed and Akane noticed her hop instinctively out of arms reach. Yes this was more like the Ranma she knew and was used to. She would never admit it to anyone, but she secretly missed their arguments. They had become such a constant part of her life that it felt weird without them. Maybe if she hadn't always been so quick to yell and accuse her ex-fiancé of his imagined deceptions things wouldn't have been so strained between them. She had only been sixteen at the time, she didn't want her life being arranged for her by her father of all people, or sisters throwing her to the wolves the way they had; but, neither could she find it in her to vent all her anger on them. No, Ranma had been the lucky substitute for that.

It had barely been two years since they'd first met, but it all felt like a life time ago with everything that they had been through together. Deep down she knew Ranma cared for her the way she had cared for him, she even remembered Ranma crying for he loved her after _they_ had defeated Saffron together. She had even been willing to marry him after that, been willing to marry him to give him the one thing he had wanted the most so they could be together happily.

Of course she had been reminded of one important thing the day of their failed marriage.

Nerima was not the place to leave loose ends lying about.

Where would they be now if Ranma had set things right with Shampoo and Ukyo, or she had set things right with Kuno? She shook her head inwardly; she could think of all the what ifs and maybes she wanted to, but it was going to change a thing. That day was going to fail no matter what happened, whether it had been by Mousse or Kodachi, Kuno or Happosai, someone would have ruined it.

Simple fact was that they had been too young and their parents had been too blind to see that.

For the first time she wondered what her mother would have thought about all of it? Would she have been enthusiastic about it as her father had been or would she have been more sympathetic to her daughter's feelings? It was the one thing she wished she could answer, the few memories she had of her mother felt so fuzzy now. She wondered if Ranma knew how much she envied her…

She sighed. "Do you ever think about what things might have been like between us if things had happened a little differently the day we first met, like if you had told me the truth instead of lying."

Ranma stopped and turned, face twisted in a puzzled frown. "What do you mean? What truth?"

She couldn't mask the shock she felt creeping across her face as she stared at the confused red head, her mind racing. What the hell did she mean by 'what truth?' She knew exactly what she meant. Was Ranma playing with her, was she trying to get arise out of her just for old time sake? No, Ranma wasn't that insensitive; the puzzled look in her eyes was genuine.

Ranma looked at her worried. "You alright Akane? You look kinda weird. You're not gonna blow chunks everywhere are you?"

Akane felt chills crawling up her spine.

"Akane? Ranma?" they looked around at the same time to see Ryoga standing there looking at them with a confused gaze. "What are you two doing in Osaka?"

They could only stare silently in disbelief.

Why was it that after all this time that Ryoga's complete and utter lack of direction still managed to shock her.

Realization crept into the boy's eyes and he sighed in exasperation. "This is still Nerima isn't it?"

The depressed resignation that registered across the boy's eyes as she nodded was almost heartbreaking. She couldn't possibly imagine living with such a curse, it would drive her insane; she still wasn't sure how Ryoga managed to keep his sanity, always getting lost, never knowing where he was. And to think that _both _his parents were like this too…

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen P-chan in a long while…

He looked at Ranma. "It's good to see you on your feet..."

"Th...Thanks..." the red head stammered softly.

Akane noticed for the first time that the girl had managed to position herself partially behind her; she had to crane her neck backwards a bit to look at the red head. Ranma was fidgeting, picking at fingers like they dirt under the nails as she tried not to look up at them, but even still Akane couldn't help but notice, much to her bewilderment, the pink tinge that coloured her cheeks and ears, or the way Ranma looked like she was trying to disappear like a shy child meeting someone for the first time. She had to stop herself from looking back and forth from Ranma to Ryoga, the connection forming immediately in confusing rapidity; but why?

If Ryoga noticed the way Ranma was acting he certainly didn't show it.

She tore her attention back to Ryoga. "Ah... where are you trying to get to?"

A flicker of surprise flashed across his face, like a light going on inside his head when he realized she was talking to him directly. "I got a letter from Akari; she wants to see me. It's been a while since we spent anytime together. I was going to go and see her before the whole Mt. Aso incident happened…"

Akane noticed Ranma flinch, eyes and mouth pulling into a slight scowl, suddenly her entire body was tense and there was an unmistakeable twinge of hostility in the air around her. It took every ounce of control she had over herself not to step away from the red head.

"I'm going to go," Ranma's tone was cold, the thick locks of red hair shadowing her eyes as she turned towards the fence.

Akane sensed there was something wrong immediately. "Ranma wait."

"No," the red head all but snapped. "…I'll see you tomorrow."

Before Akane could stop her Ranma had hopped on to the fence and leapt over the canal; her form shrinking into a black speck as she leapt from roof to roof and disappeared into the distance.

Ryoga blinked a couple of times in confusion. "What was that all about?"

Akane just shook her head. "I honestly don't know…"

….

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….

Nodoka hummed softly as she folded clothes and placed them inside the washing basket, the sky turning a brilliant orange as the sun continued its unstoppable descent, plunging into the horizon. She felt the chilly breeze tickling her bare arms as she hefted the basket on to her hip, and started back inside the house, all the time thinking that she was one lucky woman. She had her family back together at last, the one thing she had wanted more than anything for more than ten years.

Her family felt whole, complete once more.

Yes, the hole in her chest that had pained her so much for so long had finally been filled. No longer did she have to blanket that pain with blind faith. She had her husband back. She had her child back. What more could she ask for? Genma had cleaned up his act; sure she saw that look in his eyes when the idea for a con my pop into his head, but she knew that she could trust him not to act on it. Whatever soul searching he had done during his _exile_ had worked. She wished it had never come to that in the first place, but what was done was done.

No, she was just grateful the three of them were together again the way they were suppose to be; as a family.

So much could have gone wrong at Mt. Aso. They had come out on top yes, but Nodoka wasn't a fool, she knew how close they had come to losing Ranma. Yukino's attempts to turn her daughter into a weapon had almost been realized. What _would _have happened had they got there a few hours late or even a day late even? Would Ranma really have had the strength to hold that little bit longer?

_Urg….._even just thinking about the vile evil woman was enough to darken her thoughts.

Nodoka supposed she could take comfort in knowing that Yukino would never hurt another innocent person again. No punishment would ever be enough for the woman, but Cologne had certai–

Nodoka stopped dead in her tracks, the laundry almost falling from her hands as she stepped into the living room eyes widening in a mix of surprise and shock as she watched Ranma carefully painting her toe nails, her finger nails already a glossy dark red. All the sound seemed to be sucked out of the room, robbing her of her ability to speak as she tried to find the words. All the while her _daughter_ obliviously focused on the coloured liquid, applying it with such precision and ease that she looked like she had been doing it for years. If it wasn't for who Ranma really was, she may have been overjoyed at seeing the girl do something girly for change.

It was so hard not to think of Ranma simply as a tomboy, but as a boy trapped in a girl's body. She wasn't going to lie to herself; a part of her wanted to see Ranma act at least a little more like a girl from time to time but she was never going to expect that of her. If Ranma wanted to act more like a girl she wasn't going to stop her; but she couldn't shake the concern tugging at the pit of her stomach.

Something wasn't right.

"Um…Ranma, what are you doing?" she asked as calmly as she could, but couldn't hide the slight catch of concern in her tone.

Ranma glanced back as if realizing she wasn't alone, but made no attempt to make excuses like Nodoka thought she would; there was no embarrassment in her face or panic in her eyes.

The red head was perfectly calm and poised.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I dunno, I was sitting here watching tv and feeling bored, then I suddenly felt like doing my nails. You like?"

She made it sound so perfectly normal, like it was something she did everyday. It was almost disturbing.

"Eh, they look good," Nodoka felt off balanced. "Are you feeling ok dear?"

Ranma blinked blankly at her, before feeling her own forehead. "Yeah I feel fine, why do you ask? I look sick or something?"

"_Or something…"_ Nodoka thought before smiling reassuringly. "It's ok, I'm just being a concerned a mother. After all, it's only been a few days since you got out of the hospital and after everything you went through, I just want to make sure you're fine."

The red head replied with a bright smile. "Well I've never felt better."

….

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….

Akane yawned tiredly as she sat the table in the dining room, nursing the steaming hot cup of tea between her hands as she tried not to think of the cold wind outside. The change in weather from the day before was drastic, the temperature had dropped, the wind had picked up and dark clouds that hung over head threatened to unleash a blizzard of snow. She would have preferred a blizzard, at least that way there would have been a chance of the school being closed, and then she could have stayed in her nice cosy bed and catch up on the sleep she had missed last night.

She glanced at her watch, frowning as the hands ticketed away; if Ranma didn't hurry up they were going to be late.

Most of the night had been spent tossing and turning, unable to cease thinking about Ranma's strange behaviour she had seen. How was it that someone could seem so completely the same, yet so utterly different at the same time? She had asked herself that same question over and over again until her brain crashed from exhaustion, and woke up with a splitting headache and sore eyes. Maybe she was over thinking it; maybe nothing was wrong with Ranma. Maybe Ranma's reaction to Ryoga was just embarrassment, maybe she wanted to thank him for helping her and didn't know how to. She had after all thanked everyone else; maybe it was just harder for her to thank him.

"I'm sorry Akane, she should be down soon," Mrs Saotome sat down across from her, her face creased with concern as she looked at her. "Are you ok Akane? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine Auntie," she smiled. "I just had a hard time getting to sleep last night."

As she looked over at the older woman she noticed that Mrs Saotome looked troubled, the corners of her eyes and her forehead slight creased in thought, staring down at the table but looking as though she was staring right through it.

"Are _you_ ok Auntie?" Akane asked.

She nodded slightly. "I'm fine dear, its just… I'm probably being silly but have you noticed Ranma acting strangely since she got out of the hospital?"

Akane stared at the woman, feeling a familiar sense of worry poking at her insides; so she wasn't the only one that was noticing the red head acting weird. If Ranma's mother had noticed the girl acting weird then something must be up, she thought, unsure of whether or not she should be happy that she wasn't imagining things.

"Well she was ac–"

Before the rest of the words could leave her mouth a shrill scream cut through the house, both of them jumping in alarm at the same time and nearly spilling hot tea across the hardwood table. They both jumped to their feet and rushed out of the dining room in time to see Genma backing into view at the top of the stairs.

"I'm sorry!" the man apologized but with the distinct tone of someone apologizing more out of confusion than anything. "I didn't know you were still in there!"

Ranma came into view, eyes blazing with fury as she tightly clutched at the towel wrapped around her body. "Well why don't you learn to knock first before barging in like some stupid ape damn it!"

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," the panic in Genma's eyes was almost comical.

"It better not!" Ranma snapped.

With a huff, the fiery red head spun around and stormed off; a second later a door slammed and Genma slid down against the railing beams, his body sagging with relief before he turned and looked down at the Akane and Nodoka, his gaze mirroring the shock and confusion that must have filled theirs.

"To answer your question Auntie…" Akane said. "…Yes."

….

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….

The trip to school was one of awkward silence.

Akane didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think. Ranma was going through mood swings faster than a pregnant woman. And none of them were at all what Ranma was normally like. Akane wanted to believe that Ranma was just dealing with everything in her own way, but the expertly painted fingernails and a nagging at the back of her mind said it wasn't. The most disconcerting thing was the way Ranma carried on as if everything was perfectly normal. It left Akane feeling cold all the way through.

The more she considered the way Ranma had been acting the more she came to realize that the red head was as cheery as her mirror twin had been and oblivious it at the same time, and yet the brief way she had reacted to Ryoga the day before and the way she had reacted to her father walking in on her by accident was something she would have expected from the way Ranma had acted after she had cracked her head against the rock in the koi pond. It was as if she was watching the person she knew and loved disappear little by little, becoming a completely different person before her eyes.

And it was happening so fast.

What would Ranma be acting like tomorrow?

"You know Akane, I'm getting really tired of being stared at," Ranma sighed irritably, before turning around to frown at her. "If you've got something to say, than say it. Don't stare at the back of my head and expect it to grow a mouth. Now what is it?"

Akane's brow furrowed. "Fine. You're acting weird and we're worried about you."

"Weird?" Ranma almost seemed to laugh as she said it. "How exactly have I been acting weird?"

"What about this morning with your father for starters? You've never acted like that before, and you've never been shy about prancing around naked in front of people, so sorry if I think you suddenly screaming because he walked in on you is weird," Akane felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

Ranma waved her hand dismissively. "That was nothing. He startled me and I overreacted, that's all. Besides, maybe I shouldn't be so free about showing off my body the way I used to it. Weren't you always the one telling me I should be ashamed off myself?"

"That was a totally different situation," Akane huffed. "It has nothing to do with now."

Ranma slapped her hands on her hips. "Ooooh, ok I see what this is about. It's shameless when I show off my body, but when I decide for myself to be a bit more modest it's weird. Nothing is ever good enough for you is it Akane?"

One side of Akane's brow rose in a challenging. "What about the nail polish then? That's certainly not like you and you know it."

"Yeah well I regretted that after I did it, don't know why I did it to be honest; it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. Couldn't be bothered scrubbing it all off though," the red head sounded bored as she explained herself, like she was talking about the weather or something. "What's the big deal anyway? It's not like it hurts anyone is it."

"No it doesn't, but it's not like you," Akane could feel the frustration welling up inside her like bubble ready to pop. "That's why it's weird."

Ranma rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Well fine, you think its weird, so what? What's the big deal? For the first time in what feels like an eternity I feel happy about myself and don't care what everyone thinks of me, which if I remember correctly was how everyone was telling me I should act and feel. Now that I'm acting this way you think it's weird. So tell me Akane what do you want me to do? Go back to being the sad and pathetic miserable shell I was moping around the house not wanting to talk to anyone or go to school or do anything? Is that what you want me to do?"

"No that's not what I me–"

"Well would you please get off my back? There is nothing wrong with me ok?" the red head cut her off. "I just want to be happy and get on with my life and I'm finally starting to do that and I don't want to ruin it by fighting with you and everyone else around me. Please, just be happy for me for a change."

There was a pleading look in her eyes as Akane stood there staring at her, mouth opening and closing but the words failing to exit her lips. Suddenly she found herself questioning her very gripe with Ranma's attitude. So what if she was acting strangely from how she normally would, perhaps she really was just going through some changes, it didn't mean there was anything wrong with her. How many times had they tried to get through to her that it didn't matter if she _wanted_ to act like a girl it was ok?

And here she was giving her the fifth degree about doing just that...

She suddenly felt like a horrible person.

"Ranma I'm sorry, you're right," she admitted finally. "I should be happy for you. But you understand that I'm only worried about you right?"

"Yeah I know," the red head nodded. "But please, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine, I promise."

Without waiting for her to respond Ranma turned around and started off again, at the same time one of the concrete walls surrounding a house exploded outward in a shower of concrete shards and a cloud of dust in front of her. Ranma fell backwards with a scream, bouncing on her ass in a very ungraceful manner as she brought her book bag up to guard her face.

Akane rushed forward to help her. "Ranma are you ok!"

"Geez, my ass!" the red head whined as she climbed back to feet and glared into the cloud, her body tensing ready for a fight. "Whoever did that better be ready for an ass kickin!"

"Ranma?" came a familiar voice; seconds later Ryoga stepped out of the cloud, his face a mask of confusion as he looked at them. "What are you two doing here?"

Akane nearly fell over, thinking:_ "here we go again_._"_

Ryoga looked around him, as if taking notice of his surroundings for the first time as he took in what he saw, turning back to look at Ranma, to Akane, then back at Ranma again when realization finally set in. Akane couldn't help but notice the dark rings that circled his tired blood shot eyes. She realized quickly that he must have been walking around in circles all night, when she noticed that this was the same spot they had ran into the day before.

Ryoga's shoulders sagged. "Damn it I thought I was finally getting somewhere this time!"

The teenager cursed loudly as he pulled out of his map, quickly forgetting about them while he spluttered and mumbled to himself over what Akane could only guess was another of Akari's hand drawn maps. She wanted to believe that the girl meant well by making the maps for him, trying to make them as simple as possible to follow, but Akane wondered when the girl was going to get it through her head that Ryoga can't tell left from right half the time let alone read a map.

Once more she couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and for Akari.

Ryoga growled in frustration as he turned the map every which way like it would reveal some hidden secret to him. "Gah! How do I get out of this place?"

Ranma was the first to move, laying a hand on the boy's arm in what Akane noticed was a very gentle manner.

"Relax Ryoga, you're not going to get anywhere if you stress yourself out like this," she said soothingly.

"I can't relax, Akari is waiting for me. I can't let her down," he replied.

A flicker of annoyance flashed across Ranma's eyes. "Ryoga, you deserve some time to rest after everything that's happened recently, I'm sure Akari would understand that. She wouldn't want you to collapse from exhaustion. Besides you haven't been properly _thanked_ yet, for rescuing me."

Akane nearly choked at the slight purr in the red head's soft voice, the suggestiveness in her tone or the way her fingers had started to stroke the boy's arm in a gentle yet insistent way. There was a faint pinkish tint to her cheeks and her eyes searched his with a deep wanting that left no room for interpretation. Even Ryoga didn't fail to notice the obvious flirting and it wasn't the type of fake flirting she usually used to get free food, but was genuine flirting.

"Wh...what?" Ryoga stammered.

Ranma giggled coyly. "You heard me..."

Ryoga's face went bright red.

"Ranma!" Akane snapped, in shock more than anything as she grabbed the red head by the arm and wrenched her aside. "What are you doing!

"Oww Akane! What is wrong with you?" Ranma cried angrily as she shrugged her arm free. "What did you do that for?"

Akane clenched her fists together. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You just finished telling me that you were fine, now you're acting like this."

"I am fine!" Ranma snapped.

"You're flirting with Ryoga!" Akane shouted in exasperation. "I was willing to believe you about the other stuff but _this _isn't like you Ranma. Something is wrong with you."

Ranma was growing more and more irritated. "And why is that Akane? Why is something wrong with me?"

"Because of who you really are!" she snapped.

Ranma heaved a heavy sigh. "Look, just because I'm a tomboy doesn't mean I can't act girly if I want to. Geez Akane I thought you of all people could appreciate that. Obviously I was wrong."

Akane felt like she had been slapped in the face; her eyes widened as she stared into Ranma's eyes, searching, praying for some hint that the girl was playing a mean joke on her, but all she saw was sincere belief. She looked around at Ryoga, the confused embarrassment drained from his face and replaced with concern, everything else forgotten as he realized that something was seriously wrong.

Akane felt her throat dry as she turned back.

"Ranma…" she spoke slowly, almost afraid to ask. "….How long have you been a girl for?"

Ranma burst into laughter as if it was all some big joke; Akane felt her shoulders lighten with relief.

"Akane did you hit your head or something?" Ranma asked good naturedly, making Akane smile sheepishly, feeling stupid. "I've always been a girl."

_**To Be Continued…**_

**A/N **

**I'm sorry, it had to be split into two chapter otherwise I'd still be writing it! **

**I hope this chapter was worth the wait, I'm sorry if it isnt and the next part will be finished as soon as possible. There will be a lot more comedy in the next chapter, this was just a lead up to it.**

**I'm sorry again for splitting this into two chapters. I need to learn how to compress my story into smaller chapters _**

**I hope to see yah's around for the next one…**


	14. Chapter 14: Out of Character! Pt 2

_**OOC: **_

_**I'll make this quick, all the usual sorry's that go with taking so long to get this finished, but the rut I fell into this past month really kicked my ass around something shocking and because of that I probably took longer to get this chapter finished than I should.**_

_**I'm starting to come out of my rut though now and I'm hoping last months rut wont keep affecting me for much longer. I've started re-watching the Ranma anime again, to try and generate some of my original excitement I had when I started this project and it helped a little to spur me on the last couple of days getting this chapter finished. **_

_**Anyway, I hope this chapter is up to scratch. If it isnt I apologize in advance, but I'm just happy to have it finished at this point and hope to make up for any disappointments in this chapter in the next one.**_

_**So, anyway I hope you enjoy.**_

Chapter 14

_Out of Character! Pt2_

_Ranma's New lease!_

The room was silent with an oppressive heaviness that hung in the air and over those gathered around it, each one stony faced as they stared at the red head in the center, tied down to the chair as she glared irritably at them all. Her fingers flexed and scratched lightly at the arm of the chair, testing her bonds with a furious gaze in her sparkling blue orbs. The fear that she would break free was never far from anyone's mind as they watched her, trying to associate the Ranma they knew with the girl in front of them, that had been dragged kicking and screaming back home.

Nodoka had been cleaning when Akane and Ryoga had stormed in with Ranma secured between them, looking ready to kill the both of them. She could only watch as it took both Genma and Ryoga to tie her down and even then it was a struggle. Nodoka wanted to believe there was nothing wrong, that Akane and Ryoga were imagining things, but she could see it, she could see it in her _daughter's_ eyes that there was something wrong with her. Why hadn't she seen it before? Was she so blinded with joy at having her family back together that she had overlooked something that was so obviously wrong with Ranma?

Oh, but how easy it was, even now as she looked at the fuming red head to think that there was nothing wrong with her. It was her Ranma sitting there, burning with the same stubborn fire that made her the center of so many conflicts and allowed her to overcome the obstacles thrown in her path. But at the same time it was tainted. It was tainted with an alien presence that simply did not belong around the girl. Once you looked past the surface, the defiance, the independence and determination that made Ranma who she was and is, it was obvious to anyone that knew her, that something wasn't right.

And now here they stood, with the others spread around the living room.

Cologne scrutinized the girl closely, her weathered wrinkled face shifting as she frowned in thought while Ranma stared defiantly at her. There was a perplexed look in her ancient eyes, one that had seen everything but was now as confused as everyone else. And perhaps that, more than anything frightened Nodoka more.

"So what do you think is wrong with her?" Ukyo asked finally the question everyone was hesitant, if not down right afraid to ask.

"I keep telling you, there is nothing wrong with me!" the red head shouted. "Now let me go damn it!"

"I'm not sure," she said finally with a deep sigh, turning away from the red head. "She was held captive for a long time and subjected to incredible amounts of torture. According to the Vice Chairman when I interrogated him, Yukino used acupuncture techniques to inflict pain we can't even begin to imagine. However I have never heard of any acupuncture method that can alter the mind, not like this at least and not in such a short amount of time either. If I had to guess, I would have to say that her mind couldn't hold up under the stress of Yukino's relentlessness and was affected more than she realized."

The room was quiet again as everyone absorbed this, trying to imagine the horrors that Ranma had been subjected to in the three weeks she had been held prisoner for. They had tried to imagine before, but like then it was impossible. The fact that she had come out of it physically unscathed was incredible enough, but everyone had their limits, even the great Ranma Saotome. It was enough to make Nodoka want to cry; no one wanted to imagine their child being hurt, much less tortured at the hands of a mad person.

"The question now is whether or not Yukino's last attack is the cause of this or if she had already broken under the torture before we got there," Cologne added, glancing back at the glaring blue eyes. "I wonder how much of her mind has been warped by this. The more we can learn about how much she's changed, to what extend she's been affected the better we'll be able to figure out how to reverse what was done to her."

"There is nothing wrong with me!" the girl growled insistently.

It was so hard not to argue with her. Nodoka wanted to grab her child by the shoulders and shake her back to her senses. She knew it would do no good; it might even make things worse by driving Ranma away from them. Right now the girl was only annoyed that she had been restrained against her will, and it was better to let her stay that way for the time being. Even still it was painful to stand there knowing that something had been done to her, and not being able to help.

"Ranma," Cologne's tone was calm and collected, soft even as she held the red head's frosty gaze. "Tell me what happened when you first visited Jusenkyo with your father."

Ranma managed to pull her eyes away from the old woman's, staring around the room, taking in their expressions as the muscles around her eyes and forehead creased in thoughts that raced through her mind. Finally she heaved a tolerant sigh, like a parent humouring a child and returned her focus back to the old woman.

"We went there to train. Pops read about Jusenkyo in a guide and thought it would be the perfect place to increase our skills at. When we got there we started to spar on top of the bamboo poles and I knocked Pops into the spring of drowned Panda." Ranma paused as if daring them to correct her. "I thought maybe he had passed out when he didn't resurface straight away. Then out of no where a freakin panda leaps out of the spring and attacks me. I was so shocked that he managed to knock me off too, but luckily I hit the ground. After that we decided to leave, the springs were too dangerous to continue training there."

"And when you first met Shampoo?" Cologne asked.

Ranma shrugged sheepishly. "We were starving and we ate Shampoo's prize. She was really pissed and we fought and I beat her. Then she gave me the Kiss of Death and we ran for our lives. Can you let me go now; my wrists are starting to chafe."

"Soon," Cologne merely replied. "Tell me why you and your father returned to Japan?"

The red head sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get out of this without answering the questions. She fixed Genma with a withering glare of irritation, as if this was his fault. "We returned, because my imbecile of a father arranged for me to marry one of Uncle Tendo's sons, without checking to make sure that Akane was really a boy first! It was really embarrassing for the both of us, but Akane and I had a good laugh about it later; we're really good friends now…"

Nodoka turned to see Akane's eyes water slightly, a painfully obvious hurt flashing through them. Without so much a word, the girl turned and rushed out of the room.

"Akane? Wait, where are you going!" Ranma yanked at her bonds, growling frustration and worry as she glared at all of them. "Now see what yah's have done? I've had enough of this stupid game, let me go now!"

Nodoka was torn between going to comfort the girl and staying with her own child, understanding how important the relationship had been between Akane and Ranma, for all their arguing and stubbornness she knew how much they actually cared for one another. To hear Ranma speak as if none of that had ever happened between them was a pain Akane had not been ready for. As much as she wanted to comfort the girl though, right now Ranma was her main concern and she knew Akane would be fine once she had time to think clearly.

Ranma growled horribly as the rope started to break the skin around her wrists, staining her flesh and the arm of the chair. "Let me go now!"

Nodoka laid a calming hand on her daughter's arm. "Honey its ok. I know you don't like this but please you have to trust us right now. You trust us right? You may think there's nothing wrong with you, but we just want to make sure ok? You can understand that can't you dear?"

It was a tense silence as she stared into her daughter's glaring blue orbs, her own eyes never leaving her daughter as Ranma glanced at the others, sizing them up before her features softened and the stubborn resistance in her eyes melted back behind the blue veil of her irises. Nodoka could see the muscles in the girl's arm and shoulders and her neck relaxed and she sagged ever so slightly into the chair. She didn't fool herself into believing for one second that the red head had been completely pacified by her words; no, she could see it the wary irritation lurking behind the girl's gaze, waiting and watching…

The red head looked away with a small pout, more annoyed than truly angry, replying in a soft resigned voice: "Fine…"

Nodoka gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled, trying to mask the worry she felt. "Thank you. I promise you this won't take much longer."

"Just get this over with quickly," Ranma grumbled testily to them.

"Just one more question," Cologne promised, redrawing the girl's attention with her calm yet commanding tone. "When we first met, what did I do to your pressure points?"

Ranma frowned. "You used the _Full Body Cat's Tongue _on me, you senile old bat."

Cologne gave her a piercing look, ignoring the venomous insult. "Why?"

"This is so stupid," the girl muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she sighed in frustration. "You used it on me so that you could..."

Ranma trailed off, her voice losing its hard edge and her eyes suddenly going elsewhere, glazing over in confusion. She forced herself to look up at the old woman once more, frowning again.

"Because I wouldn't...I refu...I...I..." she trailed off again, frowning even deeper as everyone held a collective breath. Realizing they were staring at her, the red head bristled in frustration, muscles around her neck and shoulders tensing. "Stop asking me stupid questions and let me go now!"

"Just answer the question and I will," Cologne replied reasonably.

Ranma's eye twitched dangerously, defiance and stubbornness blazing through her blue orbs, nails scratching furiously at the arm of the chair and blood seeping from raw wounds around her wrists. Nodoka chewed on her lip, torn between letting this continue and tending to the cuts that her daughter was only making worse. She didn't want to see Ranma hurting herself like this, but knew at the same time that it was for her own good, even if she didn't realize that right now. Ranma would thank them later when they figured out how to fix this; if they figured out how to fix it...

"It's just a simple question," the old woman continued, an unconscious twinkle of victory gleaming in her ancient eyes, knowing that she had back the girl into a corner; Even if it was a hollow victory. "You can't answer it though, can you? You know that it happened, but you just can't piece together why. I figured as much however."

"Go to hell!" Ranma hissed.

"Now, now deary, there's no need for that," the old woman waved her off dismissively before turning her back on her.

"What does this mean?" Genma asked.

Nodoka could see the worry at the back of his eyes, despite his calm exterior. The fact that he could hold his concern in check bolstered her spirits though. Her husband had seen their child overcome so many things before; so naturally he believed that this time would be no different in the long run.

Cologne took a long puff on her pipe. "It means that there are some events that happened in Ranma's pass that are too complex for her – shall we call it her new personality – to form altered memories of. There was a specific reason why I used that technique on her back then and it runs counter to what she's been made to believe by Yukino, by what she knows instinctively about me and Shampoo, subconsciously at least that is."

Nodoka noticed the old woman frown slightly. "Isn't that good though? Doesn't that mean there's part of her that's unchanged?"

"Yes," Cologne answered slowly. "However, you saw how she just reacted to my questioning her memory. Look how agitated it has left her. We could continue questioning her memories, but her natural reflex is to defend her memory, her personality and her actions no matter what. If we continue down this path, we _might_ get through to her eventually…..or it might ultimately cause more problems than it fixes. You have to understand that her memories are a mess right now. If we force her to remember those things which run counter to Yukino's programming, there's a good chance that might destroy her mentally."

"Is it wise to talk about her like she's not here?" They all looked up to see Akane standing in the door way, her eyes clouded with a storm of tangled emotions, her voice tight as she looked at the red head.

"It doesn't really matter if we talk in front of her now," Cologne replied. "From what you and Mrs Saotome described, Yukino's programming forces her to overlook any questioning of her mental state and actions, and eventually resume the warped personality she's developed. Once we're finished here, everything that's been said will be pushed to back of her mind, perhaps even forgotten completely so long as we leave it at that and don't continue to pressure her."

Everyone nodded as if they understood, but Nodoka barely followed everything that the old woman said so she very much doubted Genma or Soun did.

"Really I need to find out more about what's been done to her before I try to reverse whatever this is. I don't want to accidentally cause her more damage than she has already suffered," Cologne continued.

"Hey you promised you'd let me go," Ranma hissed venomously, her eyes boring into the back of the old woman's head.

"I think you should calm down a bit first," Cologne warned icily, her patience with the red head's poor attitude was growing thinner each time the girl opened her mouth.

"No! You promised!" the girl wailed, tugging furiously at her binds until blood trickled freely down her wrists, dripping off the arms of the chairs, trickling down the wood in thin streams. Her eyes glazed suddenly with a frightening irrational rage, and started to scream hysterically. "Let me go! Let me go now damn it! LET ME GO! You can't do this to me!"

They all watched, eyes wide in shock staring at the girl as though she had suddenly been possessed by a demon. The chair stamped against the hardwood floors, jumping with her entire body with resounding cracks that made them wince every time. Her screams, her demands cut through them like a hot knife through butter, but they couldn't even begin to move to stop her. They had all seen Ranma throw a fit before, but never like this. She hissed and snarled like a wild animal, gnashing her teeth at the air, snapping at invisible monsters, tearing at them, scaring the hell out of everyone present. Nodoka was paralysed with stunned disbelief, the Ranma before her seeming to warp into some twisted creature.

Finally, clearing her throat Cologne said. "We need to stop her before she seriously hurts herself anymore than she already has."

Even as the words passed the old woman's wrinkled lips, the arms of the chair came free with a deafening crack as Ranma tore the wooden arm rests free. Mousse was the closest, chains materializing in his hands at the same time Ranma slammed one of the rests into his stomach, doubling the Chinese man over with surprising force. Before they could stop her, before he could blink, Ranma had smashed the other one up into his face, the arm rest bursting into an explosion of splinters as the teenager topped backwards with crimson tears streaming down his forehead and over his cracked glasses.

Ranma whirled around, the other chunk of wood gripped tightly in her hand as she growled ominously, stopping everyone in there tracks; her eyes were filled with the power of a predator, a tiger cornered by an enemy but unwilling to give up. Nodoka noticed out of the corner of her eye that Cologne hadn't even flinched, her eyes holding the same steady resolve they always seemed to possess.

"What are you going to do now hmm?" the old woman asked calmly. "Are you going to fight your way out of here? Are you going to harm your friends and family just to get what you want?"

Ranma's gaze narrowed. "I am done with this stupid game. I've answered your questions and put up with this ridiculous nonsense, and now I'm going out, and no one is going to stop me, is that clear?"

"Is that so?" the old Amazon matriarch replied coldly.

The air around Cologne grew heavy, her battle aura flowing out in waves that filled the room and crashed over everyone. Nodoka felt like she was being dragged underwater, her chest heavy and her lungs screaming for air; it was only then that she noticed that she was holding her breath, and that her body was shaking like a leaf. She forced herself to glance around at the others. The children were incapacitated and her husband and Soun gawked, frozen in place. Ranma though, whether she was too far gone to have the good sense to be afraid, or was simply a good actor didn't even bat an eye lid with the exception of a nervous weary trickle of sweat that slipped down the side of her face.

"Think long and hard about what you do next girly," Cologne warned.

Ranma clenched her teeth together. "I don't want to fight. I just want to go out and you promised you'd let me go!"

The following silence was like the roar of a vacuum, sucking away all the sounds around them as Cologne locked gazes with the young woman. Nodoka was sure the old woman would attack, in some form or another; images of Ranma sprawled across the living room beaten and battered or simply passed out playing across her mind. But, instead the old woman's battle aura receded, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

She nodded simply and hopped aside. "I did at that. Go then."

Ranma eyed her suspiciously, almost like a skittish cat. She stepped carefully passed the old woman, never once taking her eyes off her until she had reached the door. She gave them all one last look, as if daring them to make a move, and then she was gone, the front door slamming close seconds later.

Nodoka turned frantically at the old Amazon woman. "Why did you let her leave? What if she gets into trouble or does something to someone?"

Cologne drew a long breath on her pipe, letting trails of smoke waft up from the corners of her mouth. "Relax, child, for all intensive purposes that girl is still Ranma, she'll be fine. Trust me, it's far better for her to be roaming around like this than it would be to tie her up; look at what she did to herself breaking free. If we tried to restrain her for any longer she may have succeeded in hurting herself even worse. No, for now we'll let her go about her day while we work out a way to help her."

Nodoka gnawed at her lower lip, unconvinced.

"Don't worry Aunty, I'll keep an on her," Akane offered and started for the door.

"I will too," Ukyo added, and grabbed Ryoga by his shirt with a mischievous grin. "Come on you, I've got an idea."

Ryoga didn't even manage to get out a protest before he was dragged out the room with Akane leading the way. Were it under any other situation, had she not just witnessed her child turn into an irrational beast, Nodoka may have laughed at the boy's comically confused expression, his eyes wide like those of a deer caught in the lights of an oncoming car.

Finally, after a long silence Cologne added. "I think it's time we finally got some answers to our problems."

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The chilled air nipped relentlessly at her bare arms, fine hairs standing on end like brittle slivers of ice waiting to be wiped away. Ranma wished she wore something warmer than her simple silk shirt which now clung embarrassingly to her chest, small hardened points pressing against the fabric so that she folded and rubbed her arms more out of embarrassment than to warm her freezing flesh as she sat idly atop a random house watching the streets and the people walking past, few as they were. Yet, as much as she wanted to turn around and go back to retrieve something more practical, the glaring face of the old ghoul and irrational eyes of those she knew burned in her mind and stilled her.

Her wrists where the rope had bit viciously into her tender flesh were raw and bleeding still, even as ki flowed through them healing the wounds faster than a normal person would have. It was a cheap trick that anyone with a basic understanding of manipulating ki energy could achieve and long since lost its wonder on her. It still wouldn't be until late tomorrow that the broken skin mended, and days still before the marks disappeared altogether. How dare they do this to her, after everything she had been through in the last month with Yukino. What were they thinking? And they had the nerve to say something was wrong with her! What a joke…

Part of her felt betrayed, and yet she understood their concern. Perhaps she had gone to far too fast; but she was sick of being a tom boy. She wanted people to see her as the girl she was, not the warrior her father had turned her into and the never unless challenges required her to be. Why was it so wrong to want to be happy? Wasn't that what they had all be trying to beat into her head for the last couple of months since she'd fallen into this slump after the whole Brotherhood fiasco?

Ranma stared straight ahead at the skyline of the skyscrapers in the distances, at the heart of Tokyo, wondering what it would have been like to have been raised by her mother instead of her father. Would she have been more interested in boys, the red head wondered? Would she have liked splashes of pink and frills, to have gone shopping with close friends and known instinctively how to be feminine and unafraid to show her true emotions that had always simmered under the surface and yet would have made her look weaker in her father's eyes, who understood nothing of what it was like to be a girl practically raised as a boy.

Sometimes she resented him for taking that away from her, but she had gained in return a self dependence unlike anything most people ever achieved. She could look after herself and defend those she cared the most for. She loved martial arts; she loved learning something new, mastering something that most others couldn't. She loved seeing the look of realization on an opponents face when they realized just how horribly they had underestimated her because of her size and gender. No the world of martial arts was something she would never give up, not for anything, not even the chance to live a life without it.

But she didn't want that to be all that she was. How could she? It wasn't like martial arts was everything life was about. She could be both the very definition of a martial artist her father wanted her to be, and still treat herself to being girly when she wanted to be. What was so wrong with that? Why was it so hard for them to accept?

Of course they would in time, she allowed herself with a weary sigh. After everything that had happened with Yukino of course they would be suspicious of her change of lifestyle and she should have seen it coming. She had just expected – hoped for – better of them; especially her mother. Perhaps she herself was just overacting; after all were she in their shoes she'd have done the same thing and she knew they only did what they did because they cared about her.

With a weary sigh she laid back across the roof and stared up at the sky of swirling dark clouds, the grey roof of the world she thought. As she laid there, watching as the clouds smashed into each other, reforming into new masses, she suddenly imaged Ryoga staring down at her. A flush coloured her cheeks, biting her lower lip as a smile separated the corners of her mouth in a smile of wonder. She didn't care if he had been involved in what had just happened to her; she didn't care if he had forcibly tied her down or if he had ignored her pleas to be let go. She couldn't deny her feelings for him, the one boy – no she amended, the one man – she had ever felt any real attraction to. He was the one person that truly made her feel like a woman and she knew he loved her too.

Yes, he loved her, cared for her; that's why he had ignored her pleas before, because he was worried that something had been done to her. He had always looked out for her, always been there for her, always following her whether she went. He acted all smooth and cool, pretending that it was no big deal or that he was only doing what was right, but she knew. Oh she knew with all her heart and soul that he did what he did for her. He was just shy, that was all. After all she was the one he had trusted his greatest secret to; his curse…

Her stomach interrupted her thoughts with a persistent grumble, and she felt the hollowness of her empty gut, realizing just how hungry she was. She had skipped breakfast thinking she could hold out till break time at school, not realizing how out of control her day was going to end up.

She sighed miserably. "This is why they say you should never skip a meal…"

A mistake she vowed never to make again.

"Ranma!"

Her ears twitched at the call of her name, recognizing immediately Akane's voice. She thought about running away, she wanted to be alone and didn't need Akane's suspicious nature boring into her. But she didn't run away, instead curiosity got the better of her and she peered over the edge of the roof and found herself staring at Akane, Ukyo and Ryoga.

Her heart skipped a beat and then pounded the inside of her chest like a jack hammer, sending vibrations reverberating throughout her entire body; thinking that this must be fate, to be thinking of him just seconds before he showed up like this.

No doubt he had come looking for her, to make sure she was ok.

She stared at his thick wild black hair, and muscular body that looked as though it had been sculpted by the hands of an artist, like the statues of Greek warriors she had seen in the occasional book or on tv. She blushed furiously as she caught herself undressing him with her eyes, grinning stupidly at what she pictured; and it wasn't hard, after all she had seen him naked more times than she could count. His form was engraved into her mind clearer than any photo.

Akane huffed with impatience. "This is ridiculous, how could she have disappeared so quickly? We were only a few seconds behind her!"

Ranma would have smiled in amusement, if she hadn't noticed Ukyo holding Ryoga's hand a little too familiarly. She felt the roof tiles in front of her crack as her fingers tightened dangerously around the edges, eyes blazing with a raging inferno of irrational anger, and a voice in the back of her mind telling her to take deep breaths, that it wasn't what it looked like.

But how dare she touch her Ryoga so intimately!

"_She's trying to steal him away from you,"_ whispered malicious thoughts. _"She's cant find a man of her own so now she wants yours!"_

That bitch, Ranma seethed, her eyes flickering with angrily; it was so obvious, so blatantly obvious what Ukyo was up to, unable to satisfy herself with Konatsu despite his unwavering loyalty to her. And Ryoga wouldn't know what the chef was trying to do, not realizing she was trying to take advantage of his kind nature with such a simple gesture.

"_You have to stop her!" _the insistent voice urged. _"You have to save him from her before she can take advantage of him."_

Yes, it was her duty. Ryoga had fought for her on so many occasions; had rescued her from certain death and cared for her and proven his devotion to her, now it was her turn to do the same. That's what this was, a test, a test of her own love and devotion! Ryoga was counting on her, she couldn't fail him, not after everything he had done for her, the lengths he had gone to, to prove himself to her.

Her face hardened with determination, eyes blazing. "Don't worry Ryoga. I wont let anyone steal you away from me. _No one_!"

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Akane felt her heart thumping in her chest as she hurried along the streets with Ukyo leading Ryoga behind her. The wind played with her hair, flipping it around her head like an out of control animal trying to claw its way free. The nearly deserted streets filled her with bewilderment; Ranma had only been a few seconds ahead of them, there was no way she could disappear so quickly with out even the slightest trace was simply impossible. And yet the red head had managed it.

"Ranma!" she called out again, as if the girl might answer after what felt like the hundredth time.

She knew Ranma wasn't going to answer however. She had seen the look of betrayal and mistrust in her eyes and she wasn't entirely ready to believe Cologne's theory that Ranma was going to roll over and let bygones be bygones and act as if they hadn't forcibly tied her down and hammered her with questions until she ripped herself free. Yeah, Ranma was definitely going let that go.

A shudder ran through her spine, the image of Ranma's eyes boring through her memories, the blank depths that were so completely sure of her words and the warped memories she had created for herself. Oh how it hurt to listen to the red head talk as if nothing had happened between them in the last two years, that they had only been at most close friends. Akane felt silly for letting it get to her like that, because she knew that Ranma's memories weren't really her own and that she didn't mean what she sad, that she was the victim in this, but she couldn't help but feel the sting those words left in her heart. And why shouldn't it? She had experienced so much because of Ranma – usually _because of_ Ranma granted – was more than she had ever expected to in her life.

She squeezed her eyes shut; stopping abruptly as her mind filled with images of Ranma, male, healthy, arrogantly confident in his own strength and power, like not even the kami could touch him. It was that image of Ranma that she was always going to remember most.

Ukyo laid a hand on her shoulder suddenly, gazing at her in concern. "Akane are you ok?"

Akane saw that it didn't matter what she said, Ukyo would know there was something wrong, in that way that most women could read another woman with such accuracy, although she felt very little like a woman. More like a frightened little girl that didn't know where to turn anymore, who didn't know how to make sense of the world anymore. She just looked back at Ukyo, trying to mask her feelings.

"I'm fine," she replied, with a tone that left no room for argument.

Ukyo looked at her a while longer, her brow knitted with concern and frustration and Akane could almost hear the chef's mind shouting 'bullshit!' But she didn't say anything; she let it be at that. Akane almost feared that she would continue to push it and Ukyo was the last person she wanted to discuss her feelings for Ranma with.

For a brief second she felt a flame of anger deep inside her. If it hadn't been for Ukyo and Shampoo, she and Ranma would have been married over a year ago already and things could have turned out very different. As quickly as that flame flared within her though, it died away into a smouldering ember; if she was going to be angry at Ukyo and Shampoo, she had to be angry at her father as well for being stupid enough to let Genma overhear him, and angry at herself for not keeping her big mouth shut and angry at Ranma for running off. There was too many people to be angry at, and she didn't have the strength for it.

Even her seemingly inexhaustible temper had it's limits.

"I'm fine," she repeated wearily, just in case Ukyo did decide to push it. "I just want to find Ranma, that's all."

"She has to be around here somewhere," Ukyo looked around as if she was going to spot the wayward red head. "Knowing Ranma she's probably using her feminine wiles to score free food out of stupid young men that think they have half a chance."

"That's what I'm worry about," Akane sighed;

She didn't want Ranma to do something she was going to end up regretting when they found a way to fix whatever it was that had been done to her. This was almost exactly the same thing that had happened when Ranma had hit her head on the rock in the pond, and she was as scared for her now as she had been then. Scared of losing her best friend...

It had taken her a while to realize that Ranma had become just that, although she'd sooner kiss a toad than fuel that legendary Saotome ego, and for fear that _he_ would have laughed and teased her for admitting that. But if she truly had ever loved the dark haired martial artist, then why was it that she couldn't find it within her to trust _him_ with that. Maybe Ranma wouldn't have laughed at her had she been honest with herself. She sighed, rubbing at her the bridge of her nose in frustration; there were too many what ifs.

"Wait," Ryoga said sharply as she went to move. She turned to see him frowning in concentration. "She's here, I can feel her ki."

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth Akane felt a shiver of unease flit through her body, shuddering through the distinct, unmistakeable feeling that she was being watched. Even she could sense the ki now, rolling in heavily over them like a fog bank. She looked around, turning in a full circled as her eyes scanned everything around her, but except for the three of them, the streets had become deserted. She felt the chill of the air more acutely then before, biting through her clothes, her breath frosting over in front of her mouth.

"Maybe she's still pissed at us," Ryoga offered wearily, the muscles in his shoulders and neck tensing uneasily. "Don't let your guard down; you don't know what she might be capable of at the moment."

Without warning she felt the shift in the ki; she sensed Ranma moving, sensed the danger that sent warning bells screaming through her brain, but even then she couldn't tell where the girl was moving. This was what it was like to be stalked by a predator, she realized. She felt her entire body tense waiting for the attack she knew was coming, her eyes squeezing shut instinctively and her lungs holding her breath in her chest as her heart pounded like a jack hammer, blood surging with cold dr–

"Ryoga-kun!" the excited squeal sliced through the thick terror infused fog of her thoughts like a knife through hot butter.

Akane turned in time to see Ranma standing there, behind Ukyo and Ryoga a scowl spread across her face as her fixed on the chef. "Ranma!"

Ryoga and Ukyo were turning before the words were completely out of her mouth. There was a blur of limbs and a second later Ukyo was sent flying through the air, shrieking as she tumbled head over ass into the fence, the metal chain links protesting with a ringing clang of steel. Akane could only gape as she turned back to Ranma, seeing the look of rage flickering through her eyes, dark malevolence clouding her irises, fingers opening closing with deliberate slowness.

Ukyo staggered to her feet, bracing herself against the fence with one hand and rubbing her head with the other, groaning to herself. When she looked up a sneer twitched at Ranma's mouth, and her fingers squeezed into fists, her entire body visibly shaking with barely contained fury to the point that her face was starting to redden dramatically.

"Jeez Ranma! What the hell was that for!" Ukyo hissed.

Ranma bristled dangerously, her shoulders tensing as if to attack. "Me? What about you?"

Akane sucked in a deep breath, recognizing the pure – albeit rare – anger that swam in the red heads eyes. It was rare for Ranma to ever enter into any fight truly angry; arrogantly, egotistical yes, but hardly more than that. She could probably count on her fingers how many times an enemy had made the proud and usually over confident Saotome truly mad. To see her now, reacting the way she was to Ukyo's mere presence was nothing short of frightening.

"Just calm down Ranma," Ukyo held her hands up defensively. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. Just tell us what's wrong."

"Don't play dumb with me you traitor!" Ranma screamed as she brought her arm up to attack.

Ryoga's hand clamped around her wrist and jerked her to a sudden stop that nearly pulled the infuriated red head over. She snapped her head around with a sharp growl, and just like that, as her eyes fell upon his, her entire demeanour changed in the blink of an eye. The anger seemed to melt away from her, the tension in her muscles disappearing and leaving her gazing longingly at the boy before her. Akane blinked in disbelief, mirroring the bewildered expression that shifted Ukyo's features.

"Ryoga-kun," Ranma sighed adoringly.

Ryoga nearly fell backwards, letting go of Ranma's wrist like he had grabbed something he shouldn't have, but his reaction didn't alter the dreamy look in the girl's eyes. Akane gawked, her brain doing spinning as she tried to grasp what she was seeing. Then, without warning the red threw herself at the dark haired boy, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tightly.

"AH! Ranma what are you doing!" Ryoga cried in a panic, looking around like a trapped animal. "Let go!"

"Oh you don't need to be shy darling," she'd purred seductively, drawing herself closer and craning her head up and standing on tip toes. "Or we can find some place to be alone together if you want, hmmm?"

Ryoga's face flushed as she pressed _herself_ tighter against him; he looked sharply at Akane and Ukyo, his eyes pleading. "Help, please!"

The second Ukyo took even one step forward however, Ranma turned and snarled, her battle aura flaring around her and her body seeming to grow to enormous proportions until she towered over the chef. Ukyo froze, her eyes widening in terror as the battle aura seemed to grab at her. Akane felt the incredible power rolling out of the tiny red head, the malicious intent behind it. She never knew Ranma was capable of this. Maybe even Ranma wasn't even aware she could do it and this new personality of hers was acting out of instinct.

Akane tried to focus on Ranma herself, tearing her attention away from the battle aura induced farce. There was no hint of mercy there, just the irrational rage that she had seen there only moments earlier. She looked back and forth between Ranma and Ukyo, the pure overwhelming fear in her eyes.

"Ranma stop it!" she snapped.

Time seemed to stop, a long drawn out moment in which nothing happened. It was a tense silence, Akane thought her words hadn't been heard, that the girl was ignoring her. But then the aura of ki shimmered and disappeared, Ranma blinked a couple of times and the rage faded, leaving the red head standing there looking confused as she turned and stared at her.

She tilted her head as if nothing had happened. "What is it Akane?"

….

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….

Nodoka felt like she was descending into a dark abyss with only the sharp clack of her feet as she made her way down the wooden stairs, aware of the presence of the old woman in front of her, and Genma only a couple of steps behind. A cold draft washed through the darkened basement, sending shivers through her body, adding strength to the feeling of unease she felt, like the darkness was reaching out to grab her; she couldn't even see Cologne in front of her it was so dense. It was only the reassuring presence of her husband behind her that kept her calm.

Without warning the basement flooded with light, chasing the darkness into whatever hiding spot it could find. Nodoka threw a hand up, shielding her eyes as she squinted against the brightness, waiting for her vision to adjust; when it did, the scene before her was very anti-climatic. The basement was no different than any other basement she might have walked into. Boxes stacked neatly into high towers against walls, ancient Chinese items peeking out of boxes and old intricately carved wooden chests.

"What?" Cologne asked.

"I was expecting something else," she replied.

Cologne allowed an amused smile to spread her wrinkled lips. "What were you expecting child? Flaming torches, chains and monsters hiding in the dark?"

Nodoka smiled sheepishly; that was exactly what she had been expecting.

Cologne moved to the back of the basement as the others gathered at the foot of the stairs. Nodoka watched as the old woman went to table covered in a cloth, objects clearly hidden beneath it. Her bony old fingers curled around the cloth and wreathed it back revealing two cages side by side, one larger than the other. A rat squeaked and shivered in the corner of one cage, while in the larger one, a fox growled at the sight of them. Nodoka narrowed her eyes dangerously at it.

"Hush!" the old woman ordered the fox.

The animal gave her a contemptuous glance and then went back to curling up on the floor of the cage. At the same time Shampoo came bounding down the stairs, and went straight to her great grandmother's side, with a steaming kettle. With rough uncaring coldness, Cologne reached into the cage and yanked the fox out of the cage, the animals legs and tail flailing about in rabid rage til it was set down on the ground; before it could run Shampoo tipped the steaming water over it. Right before their eyes the fox transformed into Yukino Matsumoyri.

Cologne threw the woman the cloth in her other hand. "We've got some questions for you."

Yukino smirked. "Oh, I wonder what about."

Nodoka was moving before she even realized it herself. She slugged the woman across the face so hard she sent the woman spinning backwards into a wall with a resounding smack, her knuckles screaming in agony. Yukino glanced back at her, blood dribbling from her split lip, but her eyes filled with mocking amusement. Genma reached Nodoka as she drew her fist back for another strike, only to be pulled back by her husband.

"Tell me what you did to my daughter!" she screeched, struggling with Genma's strength. "You're not going to get away with this you witch!"

"It would seem I already have," the evil witch of a woman smirked as she wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. Then she turned and glared at Cologne. "Return my clothes to me."

"Do not make demands of me girly," Cologne warned coldly. "Were it up to me I would leave you in that cage for the rest of your pathetic life. So if I was you, I would seriously not try my patience right now."

"Do you really think you can scare me?" there was a glint of steel in Yukino's eyes. "With all I've done."

Cologne leaned forward, her ancient eyes seeming to flicker with her three hundred plus years of experience, with everything she had seen and done. Her battle aura shimmered around her, a mere layer of ki that flickered around her tiny form, but anyone could have sensed the immense tsunami of power contained by centuries of training. Nodoka felt a deep sense of satisfaction, when Yukino flinched, her eyes widening dramatically in terror; Realizing for the first time, just how dangerous her captor was.

Cologne allowed a dark smile to split her features. "Do you really think I can't with all I have done?"

Yukino looked at the rest of them as if she would find help or at the very least sympathy; but all she got were looks of contempt. What did she expect after all she had done and put them through, Nodoka wondered? The woman deserved anything that happened to her now.

When Cologne had told them how she planned to deal with Yukino and the Vice Chairman, she had been uncertain about it; after all using instant Jusenkyo extracts to imprison them in animal forms seemed far more extreme than she could easily make peace with at the time. The others had shared her apprehension about it, especially those amongst the group that were faced time and time again with the risk of being stuck in their own cursed forms. She couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't too extreme, despite it being the perfect punishment for the two. Now though, seeing that the woman was completely unrepentant she just wanted to stuff the evil witch back into her cage and leave her to rot.

Yukino growled in defeated. "What do you want from me?"

"We want you to tell us what you did to Ranma," Cologne explained calmly.

"I merely brought forth what was already inside her," she replied.

"You're lying," Nodoka snarled. "That is not my Ranma."

"No, it isn't," Yukino agreed, smiling at the confused looks that spread amongst the various faces. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning. When I was 'recruited' into the Society, my primary goal was to study everything I could on the cursed springs and the effects of the curses. Through learning more about the curses themselves I could better develop our means of interrogation, of course that only extended so far since everyone is different. Now, I never once brought into the Society's belief that the curse could be controlled by will alone, I knew better than that. Through my, association with them however, I was able to catalogue the different varieties of curses that are out there. The power of the springs is far spread and completely opened to exploitation to those that understand the nature of the curses themselves and how they work."

Nodoka watched her carefully, searching for any deception in her words and eyes, waiting for her to make a mistake.

"Most of you know that some curses cancel others out. For example, the Spring of Drowned Young Man cancels out Spring of Drowned Young Girl. I call those a Standard curse, and for the most part are only physical transformations and exhibit no other aspects. But, then there are individuals such as that Pantyhose Taro boy who can build upon his curse, adding more and more aspects to it that make him so dangerous a foe. His is a Demon curse, and that there was originally four creatures that drowned in that spring I belief is the reason why he can continuously add different aspects from other springs. Demon curses never have the same affect though, Rouge for example had the ability to fly and create lightning, yes I even know about her. Next you have springs that are like the Spring of Drowned Twins that duplicates individuals; not a very dangerous curse, unless someone decides to use it to create an army–"

"Get to the point," Cologne ordered.

Yukino gave her a long cold glare, but continued. "And then you have people like Kinnii, whose curses aren't just physical but mental as well. Rouge is similar in this aspect that her transformed state is so much more violent than her real self. After much research and...interrogations and experiments, I discovered that the mental aspect of the curse is present in almost every single type of Curse there is, it's just that in the case of Kinnii and Rouge, and other Mental Curse victims that the original person or thing to drown in that spring had a very powerful mental type which made it more prominent in the curse. As I said though, this aspect is present in almost every curse, only that more often than not this aspect is dormant or very slight that its almost unnoticeable."

Nodoka glanced back at Genma, seeing a hint agreement in his eyes, a slight nod of his head. She was keenly aware of the fact that her husband spent more time in his panda form than his human body. He often mentioned that he made his curse work for him, and it wasn't uncommon to see him munching on bamboo. She had contributed all this to his usual quirkiness and if kept him out of trouble she really didn't care. Now she wondered if there was simply more to it than that.

"From the moment I got Ranma at my mercy I was working to bring forth the mental aspect of her curse, weakening her real personality so that she would be easier to break. I thought it would make her easy to mould if her mental state was weakened. Ranma doesn't even remember the extent to which I worked on her thanks to me blocking those memories from her. I spent hours tearing away layer after layer of her mental defences and she was a strong one, stronger than any other I've had the pleasure of working on, but they all succumb eventually. That's what that last attack was, the destruction of the final wall. But yes, Nodoka Saotome you are absolutely right, that isn't your Ranma anymore..." Yukino smiled with self satisfaction at her, sending chills down the housewife's spin. "...It's the girl that drowned there one fifteen hundred years ago."

There was a collective gasp, followed by stares of disbelief, as if they hadn't heard right. Nodoka wasn't quite sure she grasped exactly what the woman meant. She was still relatively new to all the intricacies of Jusenkyo, still trying to understand how difficult such a curse had been for her child, despite Ranma's generally indifference attitude before the whole Brotherhood fiasco. Ranma never spoke about it, but Nodoka knew there had to have been times that were harder than others for the red head; moments when she was forced to question herself.

"How do we reverse what's happening to her?" Genma asked finally, breaking the heavy silence.

"You can't. When I destroyed that final barrier, the two personalities started bleeding together faster than you can possibly imagine." Yukino looked as though she was trying to hold back a rush of laughter, her eyes glistening with amusement. "The ironic thing is, if Ranma hadn't been so scare of accepting her female side, she would have already made peace with the compulsions she's been repressing since she was cursed, and my attack wouldn't have done anything. Congratulations Genma Saotome, you single handily ensure your own child's doom. You did more damage to that kid then I ever could."

Nodoka watched as shame flooded her husband's face, the look of someone that knew he would never be able to make up for the things he had done in his life and he would forever be reminded of it.

"You're not telling us something," Cologne gave the woman a cold stare.

To her credit, Yukino didn't flinch. "Believe what you want to. There's no way to reverse what's happening to her. By the time the change is complete, there won't even be a single trace of her left in there soon enough. Trust me, this is the end, for Ranma Saotome."

"Well that's unfortunate for you," Cologne smiled ominously. "Because now I'm going to find out whether or not you're holding something back from us, and I promise you child, it will not be pleasant."

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"Say ahh!"

Ryoga miserably opened his mouth and accepted the morsel of food, which Ranma happily popped into his mouth, oblivious to everything around her, like they were the only two people in Uuchan's. They may as well have been, Akane thought as she looked around the little restaurant; Ukyo had closed the shop for privacy. Just as well too, with the way Ranma was acting she was surprised all of Fuurinkan High didn't know about it by now. She still wasn't entirely convinced that playing into Ranma's delusions like this was healthy for the volatile red head, but she had to admit that it was working. At least they weren't chasing her all over Nerima she had to keep reminding herself.

The hardest part had been convincing Ryoga to play along with the farce. Akane could hardly blame him for being embarrassed, or frightened of what Ranma might do to him when this was all sorted out. She had made herself perfectly clear after the Koi Rod incident that if anything like that happened she'd kill him.

"Bleh, I think I'm going to be sick," Ukyo muttered as she flipped the Okonomiyaki in front of her. "It's like watching Shampoo embarrass herself."

Akane snorted. "Oh and you never embarrassed yourself over Ranma?"

Ukyo blushed embarrassedly. "I had a lot hanging on the line, I was justified. Shampoo was only following some stupid ancient Amazon tradition."

Akane felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. She had longed for the time when she'd have the chance to feel smug about not embarrassing herself the same Ukyo and Shampoo had in their pursuit of Ranma; although granted Kodachi was far worse than both of them put together and far more dangerous than either of them as far she was concerned. It was fun, if not vindicating to see the flush of embarrassment cross the chef's face now, knowing that she would never see the same expression on Shampoo's. She glanced again at Ranma, giving Ryoga a brief sympathetic look as he patiently accepted another piece of food. She wondered if Ranma would remember any of this once they figured out how to return her to normal. If they did, she imagined the proud and justifiably arrogant martial artist might just die from embarrassment if she did happen to remember.

"Why do you think she's fixated on him?" Konatsu asked suddenly, catching Akane's attention, wondering the same thing.

Ukyo shrugged. "Why wouldn't she? No offence Konatsu, but of all the guys around here, Ryoga is the only likely candidate. Think about it, in the last couple of months alone Ryoga has consistently helped, protected, cared for, prevented her from hurting herself and helped rescue her from the clutches of a mad woman. On top of that you have all of the times that she used her female form to trick and tease him, and a whole slew of other incidents that her warped brain could have twisted to suit her delusions. As far as Ranma's concerned, Ryoga is the perfect guy."

Akane stared vacantly. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on Akane, have you even taken a moment to look at Ryoga as more than a friend?" Ukyo eyed her patiently, her voice a low whisper. "He's handsome, loyal, brave and let's face it, easily manipulated. He's almost exactly like Ranma."

Akane couldn't resist glancing back at the young man, watching as he patiently allowed Ranma to cling to an arm and let her ramble on and on in her delusional state. There were few young men that would have allowed this much, if they didn't try to take advantage of the red head first. Ryoga was like some kind of chivalrous knight out of European fairy tales, she thought, fierce and protective and yes, even she had noticed that he was handsome, in a rugged kind of way that made him seem more manly than boyish. Ranma's self confidence in her looks, whether she was male or female at the time had always been off putting, if not downright annoying. She had never known Ryoga to flaunt his looks on the other hand.

Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised that Ranma, delusional as she was right now had chosen Ryoga.

Akane turned back around, giving Ukyo a long look. "You knew Ranma would come out of hiding if we had Ryoga with us."

"I had my suspicions. I wasn't entirely sure it would work after you two drag her back there and tied her up, but then Cologne said about her mind pushing the stressful things to the back of her mind so I figured it was worth a shot. I just didn't expect her to attack me though," Ukyo explained. She went quiet, staring intently at the food cooking on the grill, eyes glinting seriously. Ukyo added quietly in a whisper Akane could barely hear. "She was going to kill me."

She wanted to tell the chef that she was wrong, that Ranma wouldn't have gone that far, but she had seen the look in Ranma's eyes as clearly as Ukyo had. There had been no mistaking her killer intent towards Ukyo. She couldn't fool herself into believing that the red head would have had the self control to stop herself from tearing the chef apart. They had simply been lucky that her voice had gotten through to the girl.

Ukyo grinned as she served more helpings of her specialty onto individual plates. "Come on, let's rescue Ryoga from her before she gets to second base with him."

Ranma barely even acknowledged either of them accept to look at them with annoyance as they sat down; until Ukyo set the plate of Okonomiyaki down in front of the '_happy couple._' All was forgotten as soon as the plate touched the table, the red head attacking the food with the same typical Saotome appetite that they all knew so well. For a second she even seemed to forget all about Ryoga. Akane didn't miss the silent grateful thank you that flashed across his eyes, and the pleading look to get him out of this. She almost felt sorry for him; they had no idea how long he was going to keep this up for and it would only get harder to keep Ranma at bay.

"You make the best Okonomiyaki Uuchan," Ranma mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I could eat this stuff all day."

Akane glanced down at the bandages they had convinced her to let them use, a faint tinge of red staining the white material. Ranma had barely even seemed to notice the wounds she had inflicted upon herself, her mind already pushing the unpleasantness to the back with everything else. It was like she could only focus on one thing at a time, like her attention span was getting shorter and shorter as her fixation on Ryoga and belief of who and what she was grew stronger than ever. There was a hyper active energy about, her like she with bursting with excitement and needed to do something, anything to vent the excess amount. It wasn't as if she was becoming a ditz, far from it; but she was getting more excitable nevertheless. Akane worried about what she was going to be like in a days time?

"So Ranma," Ukyo started with a slow deliberate tone, drawing the red head's eyes up from the plate with food stuck around her mouth and cheeks. "You mind telling us _why_ you like Ryoga?"

"I don't like him," Ranma replied seriously, offended almost even and catching them by surprise, Ryoga's eyes lighting up with hope of escape; but then Ranma's mouth split into a huge grin as she turned and clung to his arm. "I love my Ryoga-kun!"

"Aww that's so…." Ukyo glanced at Akane at a loss for words. "….creepy."

"Let's go to the movies when we're finished here darling," the insane red head said excitedly. Her eyes suddenly gained a cheeky edge to them, whispering soothingly to him as she stroked his chest with a light gentle touch. "And maybe afterwards I'll let you un–"

"Whoa!" Ryoga jumped out of the booth in a panic. "Now look here Ranma, you can't ex– ack!"

The corner of the boy's eye twitched nervously as he found Ranma staring up at him, her eyes huge and watery, her bottom lip quivering and her hands clasped together under her chin. The shattered expression across the red head's face crumbled Ryoga's defences in an instant, like a bomb obliterating the foundations of a house.

"You hate me?" a tear slipped down her rosy cheek

He held his hands up defensively. "No, no wait that's not what I mean!"

"I'm not good enough for you is that it?" There was a quivering catch to her tone. "I just wanted to show you how much I care for you. I didn't realize how much of a bother I am. I'm sorry."

Akane gasped in as the red head started to get out of the booth, tears starting to flow freely down her face as Ryoga's mouth opened and closed in confusion. If Ranma ran off now, like this they'd never find her again, the youngest Tendo thought, trying to quickly think of a way to stop her only for her mind to come up blank, seized by panic. Ryoga glanced around at her and Ukyo, searching for help, and must have seen their brain locked expressions, because a second later he hung head in defeat, his shoulders sagging heavily.

Ryoga sighed miserably and put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait, don't go…we'll go to the movies together…"

Ranma sniffled, looking at him like she had been reunited with some long lost love. "Really? You promise?"

"Yes, I promise," he sighed.

Ranma blinked, and like that the tears were gone her lips curving into an overjoyed smile as she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him again. "Great! Uuchan you mind if I use your bathroom to freshen up? Thanks!"

The red head practically skipped out into the back room, leaving the four of them standing in stunned silence, with poor Ryoga staring at the wall in disbelief, his fingers twitching like the legs of a dying cockroach. Akane just stared after the girl, her mouth opening and closing in silent awe as she turned to see Ukyo's expression echoing her own.

"Wow…she's good," Ukyo looked over at the dark haired boy almost pityingly. "You two aren't even really together and she's got you wrapped around her little finger Sugar."

"Please kill me," Ryoga groaned.

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Nodoka winced as screams filled the small basement, echoing off the cold stone walls and filling her with a squirming nausea at the pit of her stomach. It shouldn't have, but Yukino's piercing screams tore at her with an awfulness she couldn't even begin to describe. She kept telling herself that this was karma at work, that everything the witch had visited upon Ranma was coming back to kick her in the ass in the age old cliché, what goes around comes around. No matter how many times she told herself this though, she couldn't help but feel like she had given up a piece of herself allowing this to happen.

Maybe she was simply being too naïve, but she had never been a cruel woman and she certainly didn't like to see anyone being hurt, even if they deserved it.

It felt like hours had passed since Cologne had started; days even. Time apparently meant nothing down here, or at least that was the illusion it created. It took all her effort not to turn and run out of the room for fresh air, the stench of sweat saturating the small room.

"I imagine you said this to Ranma many times during her torture," Cologne said suddenly to the bound woman. "Tell me what I want to know right now and I can end this."

Yukino panted raggedly, her face covered in sweat and blazing red with strain as she snarled at the old Amazon. "I have nothing left to lose stupid old ghoul! You can't do anything to me, so do your worse!"

"Oh child, I haven't even started yet," Cologne replied calmly.

Nodoka winced as the screams started up again, forcing herself to watch as the old woman went to work on the agonized woman. This may be necessary to save Ranma, but she wasn't going to be so cowardly as to look away or pretend it hadn't happened. The least she could do was watch this, after all this was the path they had chosen and there was no turning back.

She watched as Yukino's form twisted and arced in agony beyond measure, beyond anything she knew the woman had been able to inflict on Ranma. As she watched the woman she couldn't help but wonder about what kind of hell she had gone through when her own son had been killed. What kind of pain must that have truly been like, to lose a child you carried for nine months within you. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like; she didn't want to. It was too much. It was no wonder that the woman had turned so vilely evil and capable of what she was. But even still, that did not excuse her actions or what she would have done had they let her go free.

"I know you know something," Cologne sighed as she paused once more. "I will rip it out of you if I have to girly and believe me you don't want that. Hurting Ranma or the rest of us is not worth what I'll subject you to."

Yukino laughed, a shrill mad hysterical cackle that reverberated around the basement with disturbing strength. The woman rolled her head sideways to smirk wildly at the old woman, barely able to contain the agony behind her blood shot watery eyes, looking for all the part like some otherworldly demon.

"You really think you can hurt me? I have suffered the worse pain imaginable, Crone," the woman licked her lips, holding Cologne's ancient judging gaze for the longest time, till she returned to her eyes to the ceiling still smiling like a person that knew something know one else did. "Besides, you should be less worried about what I know, and more worried what Ranma might do now."

Nodoka felt a small stroking of dread inside her chest, like a bony finger scratching at her heart at the mention of her daughter's name. She glanced at Cologne and saw the careful wariness that flitted across the old woman's eyes, reminding her to keep her caution around this woman.

"What do you mean?" she asked, moving closer to the pair.

Yukino let her gaze slide to Nodoka, grinning viciously. "You're all worried about how Ranma's acting right now, how she's not acting like herself. How she's acting should be the least of your worries."

"What did you do?" Cologne hissed.

Her eyes still locked on Nodoka. "I destroyed her ability to reason right from wrong. She has no moral center anymore to hinder her. She is acting on pure instinct, wants and desires, and she won't stand for anyone getting in her way of what she wants."

Nodoka and Cologne's eyes widened at the implications, cold fear and horror washing across the housewife and Amazon matriarch as they turned to look at each other. Images of Akane and Ukyo, and of Ryoga flashed across Nodoka's mind, her hands already starting to shake uneasily.

"That's right." Yukino cackled insanely. "Ranma is a bomb waiting to explode; my perfect weapon is walking around uncontrolled and unchecked!"

Nodoka shuddered. _"And no one else knows…"_

….

…

…

…

….

"That was a close one," Akane sighed.

"Tell me about it, I thought she was going to run off again," Ukyo nodded as she absently picked at her food. Finally she glanced at Ryoga, his head buried in his arms resting against the table. "Are you still moping? I wouldn't let Ranma catch you like that or she might take it the wrong way and want to give you some tender loving care to make you feel all better."

Ryoga slowly drew back, letting his body slump in booth seat as he glared at the chef, even his slow witted mind detecting the mocking amusement in her tone. "I'm only in this mess because of you! If Ranma wasn't serious about killing me before, then she will be once she's returned back to normal if she thinks I was trying to make her look like an idiot, or haven't you thought about that?"

"Oh relax," Ukyo waved her hand at him dismissively. "Ranma will understand that we were just trying to keep her out of worse trouble. Ok, maybe she might be pissed initially, who wouldn't be? But once she cools down and has time to think about it, she will understand you were just doing what you had to, especially when she realizes that if it wasn't you, she would have only gone and fixated on some other guy, be it Mousse or Kuno or some guy she doesn't even know. Now would you want that; some strange guy taking advantage of her delusional state? How do you think that will make her feel?"

Ryoga sighed. "No of course not, but–"

"Then suck it up and take it like a man," she told him. "This will be over soon, just stick it out for a bit longer and then we can forget this ever happened."

"That's easy for you to say," Ryoga growled. "You're not the one she's fixated on!"

Ukyo rolled her eyes unsympathetically. "Oh you poor boy, however will you survive having a cute girl madly obsessed you. No, you're right Ryoga, you're definitely the victim here, I'm sorry I didn't realize that before. Go on, the door is just over there, you can sneak out like a coward while Ranma's in the bathroom and break her heart, how do you think she'll react then? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Ryoga_-kun_, and you know what Ranma's fury is like."

Akane saw the slight tug at the corner of Ryoga's eye, a wince. She couldn't help but wonder if he was remembering what Ranma had done when he tried to talk to her after she had discovered her male side was destroyed. The furious red head had been almost unbearable after that, even though she was justified in her rage, irrational as it was. It had been so hard to be understanding and supportive, trying to appreciate the difficulties of her new situation, and wary of pushing her over the edge.

Perhaps Kasumi would be able to keep Ranma centred as she had before if things came to that she thought, thinking of how well her older sister had comforted and soothed Ranma's broken pride when no one else could. Thinking of her sister's mothering nature brought a smile to her face; Kasumi could probably calm a storm just by being near it.

The sound of shattering glass chimed through the restaurant, all of them whipping around in alarm; the same thing running through all their minds at once. Akane felt her heart thumping in her chest, a cold lump of dread sliding through her.

"Ranma!"

The group rushed into the rest of Ukyo's home, following close behind the chef as she led the way through doors and a hallway. The door to the bathroom was locked when they came to it, only to be reduced to splinters when Ryoga threw his entire weight behind it. They piled into the small bathroom all at once and froze in their tracks. The room was empty.

"Where'd she go?" Konatsu turned around in confusion.

Akane looked up to see the window above the bath was wide open, a steady breeze billowing the light transparent curtains. "There."

"What the hell!" Ukyo demanded incredulously; Akane turned to see the chef starting a shattered mirror hanging above the sink, blood dribbling down the fractured glass from the center. "Doesn't she know how much this is going to cost to replace? Hey, what's this?"

Ukyo pulled out a crumbled ball of paper covered in streaks of crimson that was already soaking through the thin material. Slowly and carefully the Okonomiyaki chef unpeeled the paper, unfolding it into a sheet, careful to avoid the sticky blood with a disgusted grimace.

"What is it?" Akane asked curiously.

Her eyes widened. "Ryoga, this is a letter from Akari to you."

"What? No, that's impossible I have her letter right h–" he paused as his hand slipped into his pocket, realization starting to dawn on him. "Sh…..she must have lifted it from me when she hugged me."

"And then came in here to read it," Ukyo reasoned slowly in the way people do when they're thinking of something.

Konatsu frowned. "Why would she cared about Ryoga's girlfriend."

Akane's eyes widened at the same time Ukyo's and Ryoga's did, the cold dread in her chest exploding into full blown fear.

"Oh no," Ukyo whispered.

Akane nodded slightly. "She's going after Akari!""

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**AN:**_

_**Well as I said at the beginning I hope you enjoyed this chapter and originally I intended to have the conclusion to Ranma's condition in this chapter, but I was getting to the point where, if I didn't wrap up what I had, I was going to drive myself nuts trying to finish it and possibly end up hating the story altogether, so I chose this as the lesser of two evils.**_

_**I hope there wasn't too many gramma or spelling mistakes throughout the chapter, but none of my beta's were on at the time I completed this and I have gone over it several times and got the ones I could find.**_

_**Anyway, I hope yahs stick around for more ^_^**_


	15. Chapter 15: Out of Character! Pt 3

**A/N:**

**The release of this chapter was delayed, due to a tragedy in the family.**

**On the 9****th**** of May, Mother's Day, my younger brother Shane, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. He was seventeen. He would have been eighteen in July. **

**As you can imagine this has hit the family very hard, and its been a challenge just to get up in the morning and face each day knowing he is no longer with us. **

**We're getting there though, and I'm trying to get myself back into a routine so I can get things done that need to be done. **

**TR will continue, I only ask that for the foreseeable future you bare with me. Thank you.**

Chapter 15

_Out of Character! Pt3_

_Skin Deep_

Behind the clouds the sun had began its downward journey, drawing the blanket of darkness across Tokyo; the chilled wind picking up speed and the temperature dropping further as people started to retreat to the warmth and comfort of their homes, eager to let the rest of the day slide into night and draw to a close.

Ranma raced through the streets, leaping on to homes and through the air, her face contorted in a determined deep set glare as everything blurred around her as she tried to ignore the stinging cuts across a set of knuckles, pieces of glass still sticking from the soft flesh and dripping tears of crimson from the wounds. She could ignore that though, Yukino's torture sessions had seen to that; this pain was nothing compared to what that woman had made her endure. There was only one thing running through her mind, blocking out all the houses and people around her and biting cold.

Her teeth clenched together with dangerous force as an image of the sweet and cute Akari flashed before her mind, her rage exploding into full blown fury at the mere thought of the girl even looking at _her _Ryoga! How dare that little hussy even dare send a love letter to him; it wasn't right, it was just a bold faced attempt to steal him away from the one who really loved him. No, she would not stand for this; she would not let that little bundle of hormones think she could get away with this. Akari had to be made an example of so others knew what would happen to them if they tried to take him from her. Yes, that was the only way to end this, the only way to ensure that no one tried to take him her again.

She would snap the bitch's neck like a twig.

And, she thought with a happy smile, everything would be good again…

The few people still out gasped as the tiny red head leapt from the overpass bridge, sailing out into open air, her pig tail flapping behind her as the wind rushed past her face, whipping the bangs of her hair against her face. The bystanders watch on with awe and amazement as she seem to hang there for a second, a brief second in which she seemed to float like a leaf on the wind; and then she dropped like a rock, plummeting straight down on to the train carriage as it zipped past beneath, collecting her and whipping her off at speeds that would have killed a normal person.

Strands of red hair flicked at her face as the air rushed past her, rippling skin and clothes alike, pulling at her limbs as she clenched her teeth and buckled down against the cool metal of the carriage, all the while grinning madly at the rush of adrenalin that surged through her body. It was easy to understand why thrill seekers that climbed mountains, or raced cars or bikes or whatever sky dive did what they did. Her entire body was coming to life with adrenalin warming her blood.

This was certainly the only way to travel.

Ranma wavered suddenly and nearly lost her grip, touching her head against the freezing metal and gasping quietly as the air rushed around her. Her head throbbed and ached, like someone was inflating a balloon inside her brain, the pressure pushing against her skull and her adrenalin racing. She squeezed her eyes shut, everything spun, swirls of colours that blurred together in a hazy mess that seemed to lift her off the train. It was only with a great deal of effort that she shook her head, and opened her eyes to find everything as it should be and her fingers gripped to their holds so tight that her knuckles turned white.

She blinked a couple of times in confusion, feeling her entire body tremble uneasily, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes wide with confusion that swirled around her brain.

She could have sworn she had heard someone screaming at the back of her mind…...

….

…

…

…

….

Akane hesitated as her hand wrapped around the handle of the door to the Nekohanten, her stomach churning with worry and stress as images of the shattered mirror kept flashing through her mind with disturbing clarity with imagined scenarios playing out in her head with Ranma reading the letter, her every reaction down to her fist pulverizing the wall mounted mirror. She sighed with frustration, feeling more useless than ever…

"_What do you mean no? I'm going too!" _she had told them when Ukyo had told her she could go with them.

"_Ukyo's right,"_ Ryoga had nodded. _"I know you want to help Akane, but Ranma's faster than both of us and we're gonna need to move faster than you can keep up with. Besides, someone needs to tell Cologne and Ranma's parents about what's happened."_

Akane had stared at them, wanting to argue, wanting to give into the urge to be stubborn and defiant, but common sense had won out in the end. They were right, they had too much ground to make up and she would have only been a hindrance. It was going to be hard enough as it was to catch up to the red head, but fortunately they didn't have to. They knew where she was going so they only had to get to Akari before Ranma did.

"_Fine, just be careful," _she'd reminded them. _"You don't know what Ranma will do if you try to stop her."_

"_You don't need to worry Akane, we'll be fine," _Ryoga had sounded almost as confident as Ranma used to, and not for the first time she wondered if the two realized how much alike they truly were; not that they would ever admit it even if they did…

…So then she had watched as the two had disappeared into the distance, leaving her with the task to tell the others.

She sighed wearily, wanting this day to be over already.

"Excuse me miss."

Akane turned around in surprise to find an elderly man standing behind her, and though she pretended not to, she also noticed the man dressed in black ninja garb crouched on tree branch across the road watching them with a hand hovering over the hilt of a sword. She may not have been the most skilled of all the martial artists that lived in Nerima, but she wasn't going to be accused of not being observant.

"Yes?" she felt an instinctive wariness creeping through her.

The older man smiled disarmingly. "I was wondering if you know the owner of this establishment?"

"Maybe…What do you want?" she asked.

He never took his eyes off her, holding her with his powerful gaze. "I am here to see about my daughter. I believe you know her."

Ever patient, the man folded his hands in front of him, resting his weight on a beautifully carved cane, waiting for her, but she simply blinked vacantly at him, having no idea what he was talking about, and it didn't take long for him to picked up on this, smiling again with the charm of an old gentlemen.

"…Yukino Matsumoyri."

….

…

…

…

….

Ryoga knew he could have moved faster than Ukyo, but he knew that he wasn't going to get very far by himself and was forced to keep pace two steps behind her as she led the way for him. He wanted to pick her up and carry her so they could move faster, but again he knew there was no point to it, he would only end up screwing up where he was suppose to go. He was starting to impatient, like the old Ryoga from a couple of months ago, his fear for Akari and knowing exactly what Ranma was capable of driving him on.

If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

Why hadn't he felt her picking his pocket; she wasn't _that_ good. No he thought a second later, she was _that_ good. She had taken advantage of his obvious and pathetic weakness like any good martial artist would have. He knew who she was inside, who she used to be on the outside, but all he could see was who she was on the outside now. It was no big secret that his weakness was the fairer sex, and as hard as it was for him to admit it, female Ranma was as cute as they come and was more experienced than anyone at exploiting his weakness; although of course that had been through clever costumes and semi-well acted back stories.

God he felt like an idiot.

Neither Akari nor Ranma would be in this mess if he hadn't let Kinnii's attack take him down, or if he hadn't fallen on her Ranma would have been able to get away at least. Ranma had beaten Kinnii once as a girl; there was nothing to say she couldn't have done it again. That day kept playing over and over again in his mind, wondering without success if there was anything different he could have done that day, aware that it was pointless to worry about things that couldn't be changed after the fact, but he couldn't put it out of his mind. He felt so guilty.

All he had to do was keep Ranma preoccupied until Cologne could figure out a way to help her, but he couldn't even do that properly. All he had to do was play the part, pretend to play along with the red head's absurd delusions and everything would have been fine. Yes, Ranma could have been angry when all was said and done and she was back to normal, but it was better than this. It was better than putting Akari's life and Ranma's sanity at risk.

Humiliation was one thing, but if they didn't stop her from killing Akari, then everything would change beyond repair; nothing would ever be the same again and the devastation Ranma would suffer would make the loss of her male side seem like a simple gloomy day.

He couldn't let that happen.

For Akari's sake…

… and Ranma's.

….

…

…

…

….

"You're Yukino's father?"

Nodoka couldn't contain the accusing manner in her tone as she stare at the apparently unfazed elderly man. It was easy to tell he came from money and was used to the finer things in life; he was dressed in the same level of finery that Yukino had adorned herself in at the cave. It wasn't just the presence of wealth however; no he also welded a formidable aura of respect and power about him, but he had yet to impress her. She glanced over at the ninja retainer that accompanied him into the restaurant, who sat near the entrance of the door, ever silent as the others gathered around, but she had no doubt that if any of them made even the slightest threatening gesture he would be ready to protect his master.

"That is correct Mrs Saotome, I am the Hiroji Matsumoyri the Head of the Matsumoyri clan." he explained, folding his hands in front of him on the table. "I am aware of your encounter with my daughter and her actions. Some of the Preservation Society members did escape Mt Aso and the purge you instigated Ms Cologne."

"We all live with regrets," the old woman replied tightly.

"Indeed we do," he agreed. "The older we get the more we accumulate."

"That depends on how you live your life," Cologne added without missing a beat. "What is it that you want, Mr Matsumoyri?"

"Straight to the point, I can appreciate that," he nodded. "You're holding my daughter prisoner. I want her back."

Nodoka narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what that witch has done? What she was planning to do?"

"Yes," he replied simply, before sighing. "You have to understand that, the death of her son, my grandson hit the clan hard. It happened so suddenly and so violently that we didn't know how to cope. Yukino was once a kind and compassionate woman, very much like yourself I imagine Miss Saotome. Keijirou was the center of her world after her husband passed away, before Keijirou was born. I tried to get her help, I really did; to help her grieve and see reason, but Yukino has always been a stubborn woman and used to getting her way, and before I realized how damaged she was, she descended into madness. She would disappear without warning, at first for a day to, steadily increasing the length of leave until she could be good for weeks at a time."

Akane frowned unsympathetically. "She should be locked away forever for what she's done."

Hiroji ignored her and kept his focus on Genma and Nodoka. "I know what she did to your daughter and I can't apologize enough for that. But she needs help, locking her away is only ignoring the problem and Yukino is a patient woman. She will sit and wait for you to make a mistake and then she will escape and this starts all over again. I wanna get her help; real professional help."

Nodoka did not like the sound of this. She did not like the idea of letting Yukino go, even if it was into the custody of her own father. Too many things could go wrong, she could escape or wait to take over the clan and have all their resources backing her to accomplish her goals. What if she went after Ranma again? She had made no secret of the fact that she wanted to use Ranma as a weapon, so what was to stop her from trying to kidnap her and start this all over again.

"I understand that you're reluctant to do this," Hiroji added sympathetically, his eyes holding a sincere gleam to them. "Especially after what she's done to your own daughter."

Genma growled. "Then you can understand that she's not going anywhere until she tells us how to fix whatever she's done to Ranma. Until she does she stays here, under lock and key."

Hiroji snapped out his hand, stilling his ninja's sudden move to attack, never taking his eyes off Genma's. "Yukino will not tell you what you need to know, but I know who will."

Cologne narrowed her eyes. "And who would that be?"

Hiroji smiled calmly. "…Me."

….

…

…

…

….

Akari marvelled at the arrays of light pinks and purples that scattered across the sky with the descent of the sun, ignoring the chill that seeped through to her bones. She was looking forward to a nice hot bath and a warm meal, the day's exertions leaving her tired and drained. The life of a sumo pig trainer was a long and exhausting one, up at the crack of dawn and go, go, go all day long; but it was one that she wouldn't trade for anything else.

She giggled as Katsunishiki nudged the small of her back with his cold snout, grunting impatiently. He was well aware of how hard she worked and always tried to hurry her along when it started to get dark. She didn't know what she would do without him; he was her best friend and had always been there for her.

It had been such a long time since she had a day off; perhaps it was time to have another one.

She sighed, wondering where Ryoga was. It had been so long since she had heard from him. She worried about his safety, about his awful sense of direction and the trouble it could get him into if he wasn't careful. Maybe it would be better if _she_ went to him instead of making him find her…

Katsunishiki growled suddenly towards the line of forest that surrounded the Unryu training compound, the hairs across his large body standing on end as he shifted protectively in front of his beloved trainer. Akari watched with confusion, a shiver rippling through her small form as the pig's wariness infected her. She followed his gaze into the line of trees, feeling the fear growing in the pit of her stomach as if sensing the coming of a terrible monster beyond her comprehension. She wanted to run but something kept her firmly routed in place, whether it was simple fear or a need to stand her ground on her own property she wasn't sure, but her legs refused to listen to the primal commands of her brain.

The sky was darkening, the sun falling behind the canopy of trees as clouds lingered above the azure canvas turned various shades of pinks and purples; a cold breeze swept across the compound. She could almost sense it now, whatever it was that Katsunishiki sensed within the trees, something full of malevolent intent and bloodlust.

"W, w, who's there?" she trembled, flushing with shame that she couldn't contain the waver in her tone. "I know you're there."

The trees swayed with the passing of a stronger wind, rustling loudly along with the sudden panicked grunts of the many pigs she kept and trained. She turned in alarmed at the snorts and grunts filled with anxious concern as they pushed and head butted their pens.

"Stop that, you'll hurt yourselves!" she scolded them gently.

Golden light suddenly exploded across the sky and ground, racing across everything. Akari whirled around, time seeming to slow as the on coming rush of energy appeared at the corner of her vision. The golden ki tore through the air, tearing ruts in the ground and flinging rock shards to either side. Akari felt her eyes widen, hear the thundering beat of her heart and the chill that spread through her blood.

Without warning Katsunishiki barrelled into her, sending her tumbling out of the way as the blast smashed straight into his side and exploded. Akari snapped her head up with wide quivering eyes as tons of dirt was thrown into the air. Her mind froze, shutting down as she stared into the cloud, filling the harder piece of dirt and grit, tiny pieces of rock raining down all around her, shaking free from her hair as the wind swept past her, taking the cloud with it and revealing Katsunishiki huge still form laying on its side, singed and bloodied.

Akari screamed.

She clawed over to the fallen pig, her hands balling up the fine fur that covered his body, his blood seeping between her fingers with wet squelching noises. Tears spilled down her cheeks and mixed with the crimson fluids.

"Katsunishiki! Get up! Get up please!" she sobbed hysterically as she moved closer to his head in a panic. As she did he released a steady groan, glancing up at her with what passed for a tight grin for pig, turning the corners of her mouth in a wide smile as she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "Oh Katsunishiki, you big silly thing!"

The great big pig grunted, jerking his head towards the tree line again and growled warningly. Akari looked up in time to see a figure emerge, a shadow at first, small and compact, a battle aura burning around the person like surging fire. Akari felt the fear in her tighten like a knot of ropes, making her tremble uncontrollably. Her mind raced with a thousand questions that she couldn't even begin to answer, and the approaching figure didn't make it any easier. The only thing she knew for certain was that her life was in danger and she had no idea why.

"Who are you?" she tried to sound fierce, but even she knew how frightened she sounded. When the figure got close enough, she gasped in surprise at the sight of Ranma Saotome, the wind flicking her ruby locks. "Ranma! Oh I'm so glad to see you, someone attacked us!"

The small red head continued forwards in silence with a steady stride, hands clenched at her sides and a look of pure fury burning at the center of her eyes. The martial artist stared straight a head at her, devoid of the compassion and friendliness she knew Ranma best for. It sent chills down her spine.

She gulped nervously. "R…..Ranma?"

"You think you can fool me?" Ranma sneered harshly. "You think that kind gentle act works on me? I won't let you take him from me."

Akari felt the fear returning faster and faster. "Take who? What are you talking about? I've never tried to fool you?"

Ranma's pupils shrunk with rage, her battle aura exploding around her. "Don't you dare lie to me you whore! I'll kill you!"

Katsunishiki leapt at the same time Ranma did, slamming the red into the ground with his enormous girth. Ranma fell backwards with the attack, snarling as she snapped her feet up into the pig's gut and launched him through the air. Akari screamed as she watched the giant animal flailing and squealing in alarm before he disappeared into the tree with a thundering thump that sent a pillar of dirt shooting up above the canopy.

Ranma flipped up into a crouch and leapt into the air. "Ryoga is mine!"

Akari gaped in shock as those words spilled out of the red head's mouth in a cascade of irrational rage.

The girl fell backwards with a scream as Ranma's foot slammed into ground between her legs, cracks ripping out through the hard packed earth from the impact. Akari let her body's autopilot takeover, flinging a handful of dirt into the red head's face as she scrambled to her feet and ran.

Ranma reared back with a hiss as her hands went to her eyes. "You little bitch! I'm going to make you pay for that."

Akari sprinted across the training compound at top speed, sweat pouring off her brow as her heart rapidly thumped the inside of her chest till it ached and burned with panic and adrenalin surging through her. Get help, she screamed inwardly, get away and find help, someone, anyone. She knew she had no hope of beating Ranma. Ranma was a battle hardened warrior. She was just a Sumo Pig trainer; the red head would rip her apart like she was tissue paper.

But why, she kept wondering?

Ranma landed in front of her without warning; she skidded to a halt and tried to turn, but the red head's hand snatched her by the hair, yanking her backwards off her feet with a screech of pain.

"Think you can get away from _me_ that easily did you?" Ranma gave her hair another spiteful tug, her skull feeling like it was on fire. "I'll teach you to mess with me…"

"Why are you doing this?" she cried. "What is wrong with you!"

"Nothing is wrong with me!" Ranma roared, Akari's body vibrating with the force, Ranma's rage spilling out all around her.

Akari suddenly realized, that Ranma was going to kill her.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed hysterically. "I'm sorry. Whatever it is I did I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me."

The red head hissed. "Shut u–ack!"

Katsunishiki crash tackled her into the ground, barrelling into her out of no where with an angry series of grunts and snorts as his feet clawed and kicked at her with ferocious zeal. Akari watched in amazement as the giant pig pinned the crazy red head beneath him, smacking away her feeble attempts to punch him with his head, ignoring the few attacks that slipped past and clipped in the ears and snout, squealing when one connected with his eye. The red head screamed and shouted indignantly, calling the pig every name under the sun; if she hadn't have been so frightened and confused, Akari's ears would have turned pink at the filthy language she would never dream of speaking.

_Run_, a voice at the back of her mind screamed.

She obeyed the primal instinct to survive, scrambled to her feet and ran as hard her small frame allowed her.

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma slammed her head into the pig's snout with an angry screech. The pig squealed in surprise and pain, rearing backwards on instinct. She saw her opening and jammed her small hands against his throat, digging her fingers into his flesh and snarling like a wild animal as she glared into his eyes. She wasn't going to be humiliated by a filthy beast, not like this. She drove a knee into the pig's gut with enough force to lift him off the ground and wreathed him sideways, slamming him into the ground, the earth seeming to shudder with the impact.

She sprung from the ground and landed on top of the groaning animal and slammed her fists into him over and over again, savouring the sensation of the pig's flesh warping under the pressure of her knuckles.

"You stupid pig! You dare get in my way!" she screeched. "I wont let anyone stop me, you understand me! _No one!_"

She hefted the giant animal over her head, spitting and snarling as her muscles strained to lift the enormous animal. Katsunishiki kicked and squealed, grunting angrily as she heaved the beast through the air; the pig let loose a long screaming squeal, before he smashed through a cluster of trees, cutting away a small swath of forest as trees crashed and tumbled into one another, thundering as they slammed against the ground and threw clouds of dirt into the air.

Ranma spun around, loose strands of sweat caked hair dangling down in front of her bloodshot irrational blue gems, glistening in the setting light of twilight. She gazed across the direction the girl had run in, narrowing her eyes at the deserted feel. She knew Akari couldn't have gotten that far in such a short amount of time.

Her hand flew up to her head suddenly, hissing sharply at the stabbing pain behind her eyes.

_What da yah think yah doin! Stop it!_

With terrible throat scratching growl and her eyes squeezed shut, Ranma forced the voice to the back of her mind, smashing her rage down upon it till the pain behind her eyes disappeared. When her eyes fluttered open, her hands were shaking, her knuckles almost as white as snow.

She wasn't going to be deterred.

"You think you can hide from me?" she called out as she started after the girl in a slow and steady pace. "You know how the old saying goes; you can run buy you can't hide from me little girl."

She let her eyes drift around the compound, ever alert and on guard. She felt her muscles twitch with anticipation, could taste it foaming in the back of her throat. Every thought and impulse screamed at her to get this over with, to end it; to make the little bitch pay. God how she wanted to give those impulses what they wanted. She wanted to feel the sweet sensation of choking the life out of the young girl; to feel the harlot's life drain out of her.

"I'm going to find you Akari. It'll only be more painful for you the longer you make me look!" she warned. "Come out com out wherever you are."

Still nothing, but she didn't exactly expect the little hussy to do the honourable thing and show herself willingly. No she knew she was going to have to flush the rat out so she could tear her apart with her bare hands. Maybe she could make the girl watch helplessly as her prized pigs were turned into delicious bacon before she killed her. The gods knew she deserved anything she got for trying to muscle in on another girl's guy.

Ranma was eager to make her realize that.

"Did you really think Ryoga would choose you over me just because of some stupid condition you fool of a grandfather laid down?" Ranma laughed loudly. "You don't love him, you silly little girl, you're just blindly devoted to your grandfather; you don't know what love is. What you call love is a farce! You would have fallen head over heels for anyone that had enough wits to take down your stupid pet. You don't love Ryoga, you only love the idea of him, it's pathetic!"

She turned sharply at the sound of a whimper, eyes settling on a stack of barrels against pig shelter.

A smile separated the corners of her mouth.

She started towards the shelter. "Now, the love Ryoga and I have for each other, that is real love. He chased me all over China and back because he was worried about me. He's been there for me and me for him. You can't compete with that. Ryoga doesn't want you, he want's me! Only I can make him happy, not some silly little girl who play's with her pet pigs all day. He risked his life for me, and then travelled half way across the country to rescue me while he was still recovering. That is true love Akari, Ryoga is my soul mate, and me his."

She stopped in front of the barrels, her eyes growing cold with resolve.

"And no one will take him from me."

Without hesitation she smashed her fists into the stack of barrels, unleashing her ki through her knuckles that tore the containers apart in an explosion of splinters and chunks of wood. Ranma barely had time to blink as Akari leapt out of the explosion with a plank of thick board in hand, and smashed it into the side of the red head's face with a fierce scream. Stars exploded across her vision, white hot pain that blinded her as she reeled away. Blood streamed down the side of her face, catching in the corner of her mouth and filling it with its coppery tang. She stumbled as she turned and went down on her hands and knees.

She let out an agonized groan, filling the stinging pain of splinters digging into her flesh like the bites of little insects. The red head forced her eyes open, the world spinning and splitting apart in an array of double images that circled around one another; tiny Katsunishiki's dancing around her pain addled head.

Ranma gasped without warning as a terrible pressure gripped her skull, like someone had stuck her head in a vice. She wanted to cry out; she tried to, but her voice caught in her throat, a sense of wrongness washing over her like crashing waves. She felt like a bottomless pit of blackness was opening beneath her, dropping her into a darkness of screams that echoed through her brain. Images flitted across her mind, a blur of colours and forms that blended together in a mess she couldn't make sense of, but ones that filled her with dread and panic, uncertainty and fear. She could feel tears squeezing out through her tightly shut eyes.

_Stay down; please stay down! You can't do this._

_Leave her alone!_

It took everything she had to force it all to the back of her mind.

Slowly her eyes peeled open, angry red veins stretching through her blood shot gems, before focusing on the broken plank of wood lying beside her; she glanced up to see Akari sprinting across the compound, and sneered hatefully.

Ranma picked up a rock as she climbed to her feet and flung it across the compound, watching it skip across the ground and smack the girl hard in the ankle. Akari yelped in shock and face planted into the ground, hair flailing around her body. Ranma smiled with sadistic satisfaction, licking away the blood caught in the corner of her mouth.

She wasted no time in covering the distance between them, finding the girl sobbing and grabbing at the bloody cut the rock had gashed into her ankle. Akari stared up with her eyes quivering in fear.

"I told you, you can't run from me," Ranma hissed coldly.

"Please, don't hurt me," Akari pleaded. "I don't understand why you're doing this."

Ranma wrapped her hands around the pig trainer's neck and heaved her off the ground, all but foaming at the mouth as she screamed. "Stop lying!"

Akari flinched, closing her eyes as angry spit and blood flew from Ranma's lips. She stared at the quivering girl, tightening her grip around the neck and locking her fingers in place and smiling triumphantly, marvelling at the feel of power she was experiencing. She was powerful, strong and skilled as it was; could kick someone's ass more ways than most people could imagine, but none of it even came close in comparison to the type of power she felt now. The sensation of literally holding someone's life in your hands was terrifyingly exhilarating.

"Please, I didn't do anything," Akari's voice was barely more than a squeak that escaped her lips. "You're not like this…"

"You tried to steal Ryoga from me!" she growled. "I am not going to let some scrawny, bony little bitch like you take him away from me. Ryoga loves me and he doesn't need _you_ hassling him with silly little love letters. But I am going to make sure you never bother him again!"

Ranma dug her fingers tighter in the girl's soft flesh, grinning madly as Akari gasped and twitched, clawing at the hands wrapped tightly around her neck, eyes widening with terror, her face starting to turn an unnatural colour.

"RANMA!"

She snapped her head around, her grip loosening in an instance, the sound of Akari's hacking cough's filling her ears. Ryoga was standing there, Ukyo by his side at the edge of the compound. She snarled at the sight of them, wreathing Akari in front of her like a shield, knowing instinctively that they were there to stop her.

"Stay back!" she snapped.

"Let her go," Ryoga ordered.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing; didn't he understand? "I'm doing this for us darling, she has to die!"

"No she doesn't Ranma," Ukyo told her cautiously. "You're not thinking straight at the moment. Just stop and think about what you're doing Ran-chan, this isn't you, you don't hurt people, you protect them. That's who you are."

Ranma noticed the Okonomiyaki chef shifting closer and hissed. "Stay back Uuchan or I swear I'll snap this bitch's neck like a twig!"

She let her gaze flick back and forth across the two of them, trying not to react to the furious rage in her beloved's eyes. It was like daggers through her heart, to have him stare at her like that, but she knew what she had to do if they were ever going to have a future together. She had to eliminate the obstacles that got in the way of their happiness. Yes, Ryoga would understand after, that she was doing this for them; he would thank her and love her even more for it.

"If you kill her I will never talk to her again," Ryoga snarled suddenly.

Ranma felt her eyes widen in shock. "Y-y-you c-can't do that!"

"I can," he replied coldly. "Not only that but I will never look at you again. I will hate you."

"But…..but I'm doing this for us!" she screeched incredulously, her tone tainted with panic and uncertainty as she stared at the resolve in his eyes. She shook her head wildly. "No, you're lying. You love me I know you do."

"Not if you kill her I won't," he replied adamantly. "I will hate you for the rest of my days Ranma. I will spend every day cursing your existence, cursing you for ever coming into my life. Do you understand me Ranma? I will disappear and you will never find me, you'll be alone. Your friends and family will never be able to look at you the same way ever again; they'll only be able to remember that you killed an innocent young girl. You'll grow old and alone, hated by everyone around you, a murderer. Your honour as a martial artist will be destroyed, everything that makes you, you will mean nothing."

Ranma felt her entire body tremble, her brain struggling to process what he was saying to her. Tears streamed down her face in rivers of devastation, shaking her head in disbelief, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. It was impossible. It didn't make sense. There was no way he could possibly ever hate her, it wasn't possible; he loved her, she knew he did. This was for them, he had to know that; why would say such hurtful things….unless…

She snarled suddenly and spun Akari around, shaking her violently. "This is your doing isn't it? You did something to him didn't you! Tell me what you did to my Ryoga you interfering little witch!"

Without hesitation Ukyo sent a hard packed bag of flour smashing into the side of Ranma's head. Flour exploded out of the package and expanded around the two, knocking the red head sideways. She felt her grip on Akari disappear, every muscle in her body seizing in shock, before she landed against the ground with a hard thump. She gasped and clutched at her head, wincing from all the blows to the head she had taken.

"Are you ok Akari?"

She heard Ryoga's voice so clearly, and glanced up as the cloud of flour was dispersed by the wind. Her eyes widened dramatically when she saw him standing there with his arms wrapped around Akari and hers around him, sobbing hysterically into his chest.

"Ryoga what's going on, why did Ranma do this?" Akari demanded.

Ryoga sighed. "It's a long story. I'm just glad you're safe."

Ranma shook her head slowly, her eyes twitching dangerously along with her upturned fingers; inside she felt it growing, swelling to incredible size till her heart was surging and pounding the inside of her chest. She could take her eyes off them; she could erase the image from her mind as it burned into her brain. How dare she touch her Ryoga! How dare she trick him like this! Ranma threw back her head and screamed, her rage exploding out from her body in her battle aura that flared and licked at the ground and sky like surging inferno, ki flowing out of her body in waves that nearly knocked the others over. She could feel it pulsing through her body, wave after wave of uncontrollable fury.

"Ryoga is mine!" she screeched. "He is mine and no one else's!"

"Ranma you need to calm down," Ryoga shouted as he pushed Akari behind him. "You're no thinking straight because of what Yukino did to you."

"She didn't do anything to me!" Ranma cried. "There is nothing wrong with me, stop trying to make me believe there is!"

"But there is Ranma," Ukyo added. "Think about everything she put you through while she had you prisoner. Think about what she did to you and all that pain she and the Vice President made you endure. Tell me what's more likely Ran-chan; that she messed with your mind to make you act this way or that you suddenly decided to put everything that's happened to you in the last couple of months behind you? Think about it, you would never have acted this way before Yukino tortured you!"

Ranma shook her head in denial. "No, I control who I am, not her!"

"Then stop this Ranma, before you hurt the people that care about you!" Ryoga pleaded. "Please, before you hurt _yourself_!"

Ranma suddenly let loose an ear piercing shriek, her hands flying to sides of her head, screaming as the inside of her skull exploded with agony that threatened to tear its way loose of her body as blood trickled out from the inner corners of her eyes. She touched her hands to the thicker liquid, staring at the stains of red across her hands with shock and panic quickly overwhelming her.

"What's happening to me!" she shrieked hysterically, before grabbing at her head again. "Stop it! Make it stop. Make the pain go away, please make it stop!"

She pitched forward on her knees and slammed her head into the ground, over and over again. Ukyo rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her backwards.

"Stop it Ranma! You're hurting yourself!" Ukyo cried in alarm, her panic mirrored in Ryoga and Akari's eyes. It took all her strength to hold the struggling girl in place, her tiny body convulsing with incredible strength.

Ranma sobbed uncontrollably. "Please Uuchan, make it stop, make the pain go away."

"Its ok Ran-chan," the chef whispered soothingly in her ear. A second later she held a small satchel under her nose. "It's ok…"

Ranma blinked as Ukyo popped the satchel between her fingers, a fine powder exploding out, making her gasp and inhale the powder. Almost immediately she felt her limbs grow heavy, her mind becoming sluggish and the pulsing agony in her head being chased away by an ever increasing darkness. She sagged against her long time best friend, her vision blurring in and out of focus.

Uuchan's voice echoed in her ears. "Rest…"

And like that, the world went dark…

….

…

…

…

….

The room was filled with a tense silence so thick you could almost see it. Hiroji sat beside the bed examining the young red head as her chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, her forehead covered in a glistening sheen of sweat so thick the pillow beneath her head and the cloth across her forehead was saturated. Her eyelids fluttered and twitched rapidly, frightened and angry noises escaping her lips as she tossed and turned with as little give as her restraints would allow. If he so much as twitched the wrong way he knew that Shota would not be able to protect him from the wrath of those crowding around the room; he'd be dead before he hit the ground and Shota would probably be a second behind him.

"She's incredibly strong," he was genuinely awed by the small young woman. There were far too few with a spirit such as hers he thought. He whispered under his breath. "Amazing."

"What's happening to her?" Nodoka asked as she replaced the cloth across her daughter's forehead with a new one.

He glanced at her carefully. The resolve of a concerned mother was an amazing thing. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that she, like the rest of them ready to take his head off, didn't trust him, but she was willing to put that aside on the chance that he could save her child.

"To put it simply, Yukino didn't have enough time to completely obliterate every vestige of your daughter's will and personality and now, she's fighting back," he explained. "However, now the two personalities are in conflict, battling for control and neither is willing to give up. Her body is overheating from the unchecked release of ki that she's been using. Normally those skilled enough to draw forth and manipulate ki learn instinctively how to keep it in check as well and that also forces them to learn new ways to release stronger attacks or perform more creative techniques with it. When Yukino removed Ranma's moral center however, she inadvertently removed her ability to prevent her ki from going out of control. Basically she's producing more ki than her body knows what to do with."

Cologne nodded thoughtfully. "That explains her fever then."

"That it does," Hiroji agreed. "It also explains her rapid heart rate and high blood pressure and I would imagine her unusually high metabolism as well."

"No, she's always been a pig when it comes to food. She'd eat entire Ramen house if she was given the chance," Genma admitted blandly. Nodoka glared up at him in a judgemental way only a wife could manage. "What? Don't look at me like that; she would!"

"How do you plan to help her?" Cologne asked.

Hiroji thought for a moment, rubbing his chin slowly as he stared down at the young woman, feeling just the slightest bit of stirrings of sympathy for the tiny red head as a distressed and frightened moan fled from her lips. He remembered a time when his own daughter's compassion could have rivalled her cruelty; when the sight of something like this would have sickened and disgusted her.

"Shota," he glanced back, holding out his hand.

The ninja calmly removed a wrapped package and handed it over. Hiroji carefully unwrapped the bundle, pulling the corners of cloth back to reveal a number of acupuncture needles and incense powder. At once he felt the tension in the room grow, bodies tensing as if waiting for him to attack. How people this high strung got through everyday life he would never know.

"I am going to use acupuncture to try and control the flow of her ki through her body and bring it down to more manageable levels as well as relieving some of the strain on her body," he explained calmly. "Yukino would have done this to keep her weak and controllable during her captivity, of course I'm using it as it was meant to be used; Yukino perverted the technique to suit her own needs. She could always be creative when she wanted to be."

"And what are the incense for?" Nodoka asked, torn between suspicion and curiosity.

"The incense is actually the key tool here. The essence is created from several medicinal properties that were created to combat brainwashing hundreds of years ago. It places the inflicted in a coma like state during which the victim is faced with the reality of things; memories that have been blocked and pushed into the depths of the mind are released and mingle freely with the fabricated memories, eventually overcoming them altogether. I'm hoping the same will be true for Ranma in this case, although I can't be a hundred percent certain."

"Wait a minute," Cologne narrowed her eyes. "You said you could reverse what was done to her."

"That was my mistake," Hiroji shrugged slightly as he slid a needle into place in her neck, watching as her entire body sagged against the bed with an explosive tired sigh; allowing him to start work with the rest of his needles as he talked. "You have to understand that Ranma's is a unique case, being that was done to her was accomplished with the same methods employed in brainwashing and extreme interrogation, however what we are dealing with is not a true brainwashing in the traditional sense. Were it not for Yukino removing her moral center I'm sure she would have been far more agreeable and somewhat more like the person you're all used to dealing with. As for the success of what we're trying here, it is the only method that I can think of that might work and give Ranma's true personality a better chance of overcoming the warped and fabricated memories that are causing all the problems."

"What about her sense of right and wrong?" Nodoka asked.

"It should go back to normal when we break the hold over her. Remember, her conscience, or sense of honour, whichever your prefer to call it was removed as part of the brainwashing, so once that hold is broken she should go back to normal," he explained.

"You had better hope it does or your precious daughter will spend the rest of her life trapped in the body of a very undesirable rodent," Cologne warned him.

Hiroji patiently ignored the old woman as he poured the incense powder into a burner and dropped a match in. A thick red smoke started to billow out as he replaced the lid and sat it on the bedside table, gently fanning the smoke filtering up out of the holes in the lid drift lazily over the prone girl.

"It would be best if we allow her to rest now," he explained as he got to his feet and ushered them all towards the door. "All we can do now is wait…the rest, is up to her…"

_**To Be Continued**_

**AN:**

**I'm not going to say much except that once more it wasn't my intention to end the chapter here. Chapter 16 will be the conclusion to this particular bit. I am actually glad that Materia Blade made the suggestion to post the chapter as it is because I had been considering it, and because of recent events, I haven't had the will to write, so I figured it was best to present what I've have done and go from there.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and god willing there will be more very soon…**


	16. Chapter 16: Out of Character! Pt 4

**A/N: Well at long last the final part of Out of Character is finished and I will say this chapter was a bitch to write. I am completely drained after writing this chapter from hell _**

**I wanna thank my two beta readers, Materia Blade and Blade Redwind, and my friend Sith, for their help and taking the time to read this as it was being produced.**

**Because of that I'm going to be taking a week or so off from fanfic writing to re-examine the way the next lot of chapters play out and nail down some specific elements.**

**I'll warn yahs, this chapter might not be up to scratch. I certainly have my problems with it myself, but I hope you'll try to stick it out to the end. It was a very difficult chapter to write.**

**On another note, I would like to thank everyone for their support and well wishes. Its been a hard couple of months and I'm still not completely recovered from the loss of my brother and I suspect I never will be, but my brother wouldn't have wanted me to stop going on with my life, he wouldn't have wanted me to sit around being depressed and thinking about the what would have been and what never will. **

**So for him I'm going to forge ahead. **

Chapter 16

_Out of Character Pt 4_

_Morpheus Dysfunction_

The silence of the room sliced apart as the door opened with a loud creak. Moonlight spilled in through the high mounted window, scattering dancing shadows across the room. Nodoka quietly scanned the room as she closed the door behind her, letting her weary gaze fall across the rhythmic rise and fall of her daughter's chest; listening to the soft snores that passed through Ranma's lips. The incense in the pot beside the bed had long since burned itself out and now the red head was completely within its thrall.

The covers had been thrown back and tangled around one leg even as the other hung limply over the edge of the bed. The girl's arms were raised over her head, her body sprawled out like lazy cat. Nodoka almost smiled, thinking that Ranma probably wouldn't appreciate that comparison to much...

"Oh my dear Ranma, the trouble you get yourself into," she shook her head as she carefully rearranged the girl, placing her legs together and her arms by her side before pulling the blanket up under her chin and tucking her in tightly. "But you would not be my Ranma would you if you did not attract such problems, hmmm?"

It felt like an eternity since Ryoga and Ukyo had brought the girl back. She had lost count of how many times she had come and sat beside Ranma, just in some attempt to keep her company, but the truth was she couldn't keep herself from worrying that her daughter might up and disappear without warning. She couldn't stand the idea of losing her again, not after everything it had taken to get her back; despite everything else that was happening now. It all was all starting to weigh heavily on her; she just wanted things to go back to normal, or at least as far as normal went for Nerima with all the weird stuff that went on around her daughter and husband.

She brushed back a lock of hair that fell across Ranma's forehead, wondering as she did how it had become so natural to think of Ranma as her daughter? She certainly didn't act like a daughter, and Nodoka never honestly expected her to. Ranma's recent mental state though had left her feeling inexplicably conflicted.

Here the red head was, acting like a girl, happy, vibrant, eager to learn and live. For a brief moment she thought she finally had a _real_ daughter...

…...Now, she just wanted her child back...

"Forgive me Ranma," she whispered quietly as she caressed the girl's cheek. "I should have realized something was wrong sooner. It's my responsibility as your mother to know when there's something wrong with you. If I hadn't been so blinded by my silly fantasy's perhaps we could have avoided the mess we find ourselves in now."

"It's not your fault Nodoka..." She whirled around in alarm as Genma emerged from the shadows in a corner of the room.

She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh Genma you silly old man, you almost scared me half to death. What do you think you're doing sitting in the dark like that?"

His hand fell on her shoulder, ignoring her words as he stared intently into her eyes. His fingers dug gently into her shoulders, squeezing with reassurance and lending his strength to hers. She stared up him in silent shock, caught off guard by the seriousness reflected in his eyes, losing herself to the moment before throwing her arms around him and squeezing him as tight as she could. His arms draped around her, holding her with his warmth and the compassion he kept closely guarded within him.

"It isn't your fault, Nodoka," he repeated calmly.

"I want our family back so bad it hurts," she buried her face in his chest.

"I know you do, you mustn't blame yourself for this; Ranma wouldn't want you to. She knows and accepts that there will always be dangers in being a martial artist and that they come in many different forms. She will get through this, I know she will because that's how I raised Ranma. She will never give up and she will not fail, but she needs your strength as much as she needs her own. Believe in her Nodoka, she doesn't know how to lose."

She turned her head slightly so she could look down at her daughter. "When did you become so wise Genma Saotome?"

"No I'm not wise..." he replied calmly.

She looked up at him quizzically, a small frown creasing her forehead.

Genma looked down at her and smiled confidently, a justified arrogance born of repeated results. "...It's experience."

….

…

…

…

….

_Ranma jerked violently, mouth opening in a silent scream, eyes widening as a burning sensation erupted at the base of her skull and spread out in fiery waves. She heard the thump of her own heart beat in her ears, like the deafening rumble of drums, her blood surging as her limbs grew heavy, her knees weakening and pitching her forward into the arms of a stunned and horrified looking Ryoga. She heard the dull sounds of the others shouting in alarm, her mother racing towards her with cries of panic._

_She felt Ryoga's hands tighten around her shoulder as he lowered her to the ground, his words bleeding into the noise of other voices as her head lulled weakly to the side, seeing the others rushing towards Yukino, the woman struggling and laughing maniacally._

_Ranma looked back up, her mother looking down at her along with Ryoga as he yanked a needle out of the back of her neck, staring at the small droplets of blood that dripped off the end. She stared back at them with fear, darkness creeping in from the corners of her vision and the all the sound around her starting to leak away._

_The last thing she heard…_

…_was the spine chilling sound of Yukino's victorious cackles, ushering her into the silent darkness…_

Ranma's eyes popped open.

A dry gasped escaping her cracked lips as sweat poured off her body on to the hard ground. Crystal blue eyes stared up at the rocky ceiling in a vacant confusion, her body heavy and unresponsive, joints aching relentlessly. Fingers flexed with agonizing slowness, tracing invisible paths along the ground as her flesh tingled down to the bone with pins and needles sensation. Yukino's laugh still echoed disturbingly through her mind, overlapping itself, coming at her from every angle until it sounded like there was a million people cackling insider her head, making her shudder involuntarily.

Hours seemed to tick by as she laid there, withering on the ground with soft groans of pain. By the time she dragged herself to the wall and clawed her way up to her feet she was huffing and panting, sweat pouring off her in a cascade of bodily water. She winced as the sharp surface scratched and cut her flesh, thin rivets of blood trickling with the copious amounts of sweat. She felt so weak, weaker than she had ever felt, even when she was inflicted with the moxibustion pressure point she had never felt like this; but, even as she stood there she felt her strength slowly returning with each breath and forced movement of her limbs.

Despite that, she knew something was wrong.

_Ranma!_

The whisper came out of the dark tunnels like a whistling breeze, her skin shuddering with unease as she snapped her head around. Despite the heat, her blood suddenly ran cold, hands starting to tremble noticeably. She didn't like this, instinct honed from years of training and combat screamed from the very core of her bones to run, to run fast and far and not look back.

The darkness seemed to swallow her up as she stumbled along the tunnels, propping herself up against the walls. She slipped and stumbled, feeling like a child that had just learnt to walk, or like she was just waking up. Her legs refused to do as they were told, stiffening as she lifted them, buckling as she rested her weight on them. It was all she could do to keep from crying out in frustration, fighting the acute panic she felt inside. Danger was coming, she could sense it, and how was she suppose to protect herself, when she couldn't even walk properly?

_Ranma!_

An evil wind barrelled through the tunnels, goose bumps racing across her skin as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, nearly extinguishing the flaming torches and plunging her into darkness before the flames sprang back to defiant life as the wind bellowed on through.

Ranma ran.

Her legs screamed in agony, protesting as she forced them to work harder than they were ready for, muscles tensing and seizing painfully. The torches whizzed by in a blur of harsh orange light, her arms pumping forward trying to gain as much speed as possible, ignoring the tears that ripped across the soles of her feet against the unyielding ground. Her heart pounded the inside of her chest, urging her onward, faster and faster with adrenalin surging through her limbs. She could feel it coming; feel it getting closer and closer with each second.

A small gasp escaped her lips; ahead a bright fire light poured into the tunnel from a chamber ahead.

An exit, she hoped.

With a cry she leapt from the edge of the tunnel without slowing and shot out into the chamber like a missile, her cry turning into a loud strangled gasp that echoed off the walls as she flew out over a boiling lake, steam shooting out of vents in the ground and flowing around the cavern and the natural platforms linked by rope bridges that rose up out of the water around a central plateau.

She was in the Sanctuary of the Brotherhood!

Ranma hit the plateau rising out of the center of the lake, her legs buckling and pitching her forward. She tumbled head over ass, arms flailing out to the sides trying to grab something as she approached the edge. Then her hand caught a hold, tightening around it for dear life as her legs sung out over empty space, steam tickling and heating her flesh through the torn fabric of her pants. Eternity seemed to pass as she laid there, holding on like she was frozen in place, panting heavily with nervous fear before she found the strength and state of mind to pull herself up.

She rolled on to her back, her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath as she stared at the stalactite ceiling in confusion and unease, sweating rolling off her face in streams, trying to calm the storm of screaming thoughts that raced through her mind. For all the noise and racing thoughts inside her head, she kept coming back to the one impossible fact.

She was in the lair of the Brotherhood, their domain.

But she couldn't be, it was impossible. The last thing she remembered was the piercing insane laughter of Yukino Matsumoyri and the sudden sting in the back of her neck and everything suddenly fading to black...and then she was here, in their variable hell of heat and stone and claustrophobic darkness lit only by the dim flaming torches throughout the caves, the stench of oily smoke clinging to everything as it sought a way to escape the cavern.

There was no way her friends and family would have let her be taken from them, not after coming all the way to rescue her.

But if this wasn't the Sanctuary of the Brotherhood then, wher–"

_RANMA!_

Her eyes widened and a scream ripped from her throat at blinding white agony searing through her...

…_...Sayori was suddenly on her knees in front of the red head, her arm twisted behind her back and wrenched up dangerously close to breaking point. Ranma stood over her, frowning ominously at the vile tempered girl in front of her, ignoring the startled gasps of the others gathered about the locker room. Sayori screeched in pain as she pressed her foot into the girl's back, applying just enough pressure to sent shooting arcs of fiery pain through her..._

…...Ranma blinked in wide eyed shock, frozen by the the flash of images that filled her mind with sensations and emotions, the other girl's scream of agony echoing through her head and the inexplicable sense of satisfaction that flooded through her.

"_What the hell was that?" _she wondered.

…_...Ranma!_

Ranma suddenly rolled sideways as a chill shot through her spine like a sliver of ice and sprung off the ground as a golden blast of ki whooshed past, missing her by the a hairs width. She landed as the blast smashed into the far cavern wall; everything shook violently as stalactites and chunks of rock broke free and plummeted from the ceiling, splashing into the lake and smashing against the platforms with pulverizing force, tearing away large sections.

Ranma leapt sideways as a chunk crashed through the plateau; The ground broke apart behind her as she rolled across it and jumped back up on her feet, skidding to a halt as another stalactite smashed into the ground in front of her. She threw her hands and arms up to protect her face, wincing as shards of rock sliced viciously at her flesh; blood dribbled down her arms and inside her sleeves and down her waist and darkened patches of her clothes.

It felt like the shaking was never going to end; she felt the vibrations shooting through her entire body. When the rumbling roar faded and the world finally stopped shaking her body tingled and ached from the powerful vibrations, her limbs shaking uncontrollably.

"Ranma Saotome!"

The voice cracked through the sudden eerie silence like a bull whip. Ranma felt her entire body stiffen at the voice, her eyes widening dramatically and her mouth parting in a perfect 'O' of shock. Everything in her very being shouted that she was imagining things, it was impossible; there was no conceivable way it was possible.

She started to turn, her body resisting against the fear of what she might find.

Standing across from her…

…was herself!

….

…

…

…

….

The Nekohanten had finally reopened and the regulars that had been deprived of the incredible cooking streamed into the restaurant, filling it to capacity faster than ever before. Hiroji sat at the back of the restaurant deep in thought, largely oblivious to the many customers and the roar of chatter and the clink of utensils around him. Some spared him a casual glances, other were more curious about the silent elderly man and the fact that he wasn't eating, before losing themselves in their own conversations and their meals. He could hear snippets of topics here and there, scanning for any interesting information; after all Nerima was nothing if not interesting when it came to the extreme and the unusual.

Hiroji knew that Cologne hadn't sacrificed the use of a table for him out of the kindness of her heart, not with all the customers that were eager to give her their business; although he was fairly certain that one table wasn't going to make much of a difference with all she would make from this one day.

No, the old woman simply wanted him where she could keep an eye on him; or where she could get her hands on him quickly if something happened to Ranma Saotome. She had made no secret of the fact that she didn't trust him, or that she would probably slit his daughter's throat if he betrayed her.

He wasn't stupid.

He was well aware that Cologne would crush him before he could even blink if anything happened to that girl, and would probably do it with a grim smile on her face. It wasn't that he didn't have complete confidence in the incense to do its job of course; even under these circumstances the incense was a powerful treatment, but he knew that his confidence in its affects was hardly going to reassure the old woman and allay the fears of the girl's family and fiercely loyal friends.

They all had a problem with trust apparently.

"Will you join me for some tea?"

He jumped as Cologne suddenly set the tray down on the table, wisps of steam drifting up from the sprout of the kettle between them. The little old woman didn't even wait for his answer, she just started pouring the hot liquid into the cups.

"I thought things would be too busy for tea," he replied mildly.

She didn't even bother to look up. "Shampoo and Mousse are more than capable of handing things for the time being."

"Well I do enjoy a good cup of tea," he said as he picked the cup up.

"Kids these days are too impatient," she continued calmly. "They can't appreciate the simpler things anymore, don't you agree Matsomuyri?"

Hiroji smiled to himself as he brought the cup to his mouth. "Compared to you I am still a child myself, but I suppose you are right. We live in an age where progress is occurring faster than is responsible. But what are we to do? Humans as a race are driven by the need to improve and build, and rebuild. Martial artists, true martial artists are the perfect example of that. There's always something new to learn, always some aspect of their style to improve on. I think that one day, that inherent nature of ours will be our greatest undoing."

Cologne nodded. "I have often thought the same as you do; but then again, despite my age I am often surprised by what the young people of this age are capable of when they put their minds to it."

He smirked knowingly. "You speak of young Ranma Saotome?"

"Yes," the old woman replied without hesitation. "But not just her. Many of the young one's in this town are connected only by their rivalries, but there have been incidents when they have been able to put aside their differences and work together to achieve a greater goal. Their struggles are perhaps trivial more times than not compared to what we struggled through in our younger days, but to them they are not and they pour their hearts into succeeding and defeating injustice when they have to, and even when they don't."

"And now you speak of my Yukino?" he sighed wearily, putting his cup down abruptly. "I have already voiced my apologies and regrets over my daughter's actions."

Cologne wasn't even fazed by slight annoyance in his tone. "I do not question your remorse over such actions. I'm sure you feel horrible for what your daughter has done in service of the Jusenkyo Preservation Society and in the pursuit of her own vengeance."

"I do not feel remorse for ALL that she has done," he replied darkly, catching the old woman by surprise for the first time. He suddenly wished he had something more potent than simple tea to wet his lips with. "My daughter's rage and insanity is rightly justified as you can probably imagine. The loss of your own child is no easy thing to accept and it tears away at you. Yukino's pain wasn't made any easier by the way her son was murdered. Its hard enough to bury a child; its harder when the child is so badly beaten to death that he is no longer recognizable."

Cologne pressed him with her hard ancient eyes, but he didn't even so much as flinch.

"My remorse for my daughter's actions is that she involved people that had nothing to do with my grandson's murder," he finished.

"Why did her obsession expand to include all people cursed at Jusenkyo?" she asked.

"Yukino personally searched for the murders herself. For months she searched for leads, anything that would reveal the murders true identities. But in all that time she only discovered that they were people cursed at Jusenkyo," he explained. "By that point, her rage, unquenched exploded into insanity and irrationality. She began talking of war, or genocide and obliterating the Jusenkyo Springs. With our political power and access to weapons and resources it would have been an easy feat, and her new found alliance with the Preservation Society only made it easier. I refused however and she sought to establish her own power base to accomplish her goals. I tried to get her to see reason, but here we are."

Cologne nodded, letting the silence drift between them for a few minutes as they quietly sipped at their tea, each of them deep in thought.

Finally she asked. "One thing I don't understand, and I do not want you to take this the wrong way, but why your grandson? Why was he targeted?"

Hiroji sighed. "He wasn't the primary target. I was. I was suppose to be with my grandson and my daughter that day, but I was called away on matters I could not ignore. I am certain that these monsters that killed him were hired by one of my enemies, of which I have many. When they didn't find me with them, they went after the next best thing. When I say it is my fault that Yukino is the way she is, I don't simply mean because I wasn't able to prevent her from doing what she has done, I mean because it is the truth."

"You could not know that your grandson was in danger that day," Cologne replied calmly, almost sympathetically. "How will you deal exactly with Yukino? Assuming of course Ranma comes through this and I release her into your custody."

"At this point she is beyond the help of a psychiatrist. Aside from committing her to an asylum, my only other alternatives I'm ashamed to admit are unfortunately the same methods she used on Ranma." he felt dirty just saying it, and the genuine look of shock that flashed across the old woman's face only made him feel worse. "If she is not willing to work through her grief, than I will have to make her. Hurting her further is the last thing I want to do but I'm afraid she has left me with little choice at this point. It will not be pretty and I fear that by the time I am done I will not have the strength to live with the cruelty I will have inflicted upon her, because as much as she would like to believe she otherwise, she has barely even scratched the surface of what I am capable of with the techniques I know."

"You are truly a resilient man, Hiroji Matsomuyri," she replied before draining the rest of her cup. "I once found myself in a similar situation many, many years ago. A young man in our tribe showed signs early on that he had a deceitful nature about him and could not control his own strength, and what's more that he enjoyed inflicting pain on others. I was asked to do something about him when he was young, ensure that he didn't become a threat, but I was blinded to his dark potential and believed that he would mellow as he grew and came to understand our traditions better."

Hiroji poured himself another cup of tea. "I take it he did not?"

Cologne shook her head seriously. "No, he did not. He got worse and did many dark and unspeakable things to his Amazon sisters, before I caught him. I could show no mercy to him as much as I believed he could change and become a great hero for our people. So I forced him into the Nyannichuan, trapped him in his new female form, and forced him to bear the same number of children as people he victimized, to replace the lives stolen and those that could no longer function among us because of what he had done to them. By the time he birthed his last child, he was, to say the least never the same ever again. Perhaps that was for the best in the long run but I have never forgotten that."

"It haunts you?" he asked seriously.

"No," she stared down at her cup. "It serves more as a reminder of my mistakes and makes me cautious. If anything at all haunts me it is what he did to my fellow Amazon sisters, knowing that if I hadn't been so over confident and arrogant about my judgements that I may have prevented it. In the end, it made me a better leader I suppose, among other events. I think we are all entitled to our character flaws, so long as we are willing accept responsibility for our mistakes and misdeeds and as leaders carry out our responsibilities to those that serve us."

He understood that well enough.

All leaders made mistakes, especially when their leadership is in its infancy and everyone watches, waiting for you to make one wrong step. It is the good leaders that take responsibility for their mistakes and strives to better themselves for their people.

"You never said who the young man was," he was suddenly curious.

Cologne stared coldly at him. "He was my son..."

….

…

…

…

….

The silent tension was so thick and heavy you could cut it with a knife.

Ranma stared over at her identical double in disbelief, her mouth feeling like a variable fly trap as her jaw hung open. Her eyes roved over her double's form, looking for something that didn't belong, something amiss, imperfections in what could have only been a cleverly thought out disguise. It was like looking into a mirror; a dark and ominous mirror reflecting rage and hate mixed with confusion and suspicion.

She didn't like what she saw there.

"I don't understand what's going on," she said finally.

The double sneered with undisguised hostility. "Don't try to fool me, I know what you are!"

Ranma felt her muscles twitch uneasily, a battle aura identical to her own unfolding and flaring around the double as her eyes blazed angrily. Her body shifted defensively, hands raised and ready to strike as she locked gazes with the other girl, trying to keep herself calm. She felt cold shivers of weariness slivering down her spine, her carefully honed instincts tingled warningly.

She replied hesitantly, wondering what the hell was going on. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh don't you even dare try that with me! …...The others, they said Yukino had done something to me and I didn't believe them." The double paced back and forth like a caged animal testing its confines, all but foaming at the mouth and her eyes deranged. "I felt fine, better than fine. Everything was falling into place, everything was right. Then that little bitch had to go and get in the way with that pathetic sweet and innocent act, but she wasn't going to fool me, no way in hell!"

Ranma frowned, her confusion growing with every second. "Wait! What do you mean the others? Who are you and why do you look like me?"

"You are not me! You aren't real!" the double screeched. "I don't know how she did it and I don't care how she did it, but I know Yukino put you inside me. She put you inside of me so she could control me. Well I won't stand for it! I won't let her win, no matter what, I would rather die than be her puppet!"

"Excuse me?" Ranma growled indignantly. "I don't know what your problem is sister, but I know who I am and if you want fight about it than bring it on you loud mouth little brat. I'll be more than happy to kick your ass. As for Yukino, I'd sooner rip out her heart than ever be her play thing again. And what do you mean _inside_ you? What the hell is wrong with you?"

The double trembled with rage. "Don't try your mind games with me! You're not going to trick me!"

Ranma grounded her teeth in frustration; she was getting no where with this psychotic nuance except a headache. She never thought she would see the day she would miss dealing with the Kuno siblings; but like with those two, she knew nothing she said was going to get through to this girl, she could see it in her eyes; hear it in the way she spoke.

She clenched her hands into tight fists till her knuckles turned white, willing away all the weary exhaustion she felt in her limbs and the pain in her cut feet. She hadn't survived Yukino's hell to be beaten now, and certainly not by a cracked version of herself.

"Fine," she glared at the double. "Come and get me if you think you've got what it takes, you whack job."

"Oh don't worry," the doppelganger's eye twitched crazily. "You'll be dead before long and this will have just been a sick nightmare!"

With a fierce battle cry the doppelganger leapt across the plateau, spittle flying from her mouth; Ranma ducked as a fist slipped past her cheek and slammed her own into the girl's mid section, eliciting a yelp and a loud thwack. The double hopped away a second later grasping at her side, sneering back at her cautiously like a cat with wounded paw. Ranma never took her eyes off her, her settling into a stony expression of grim determination, of someone forced into a situation they didn't want to be in.

"We can still talk about this if you want," Ranma offered calmly.

The double growled. "Go to hell."

Without warning the doppelganger disappeared in the space of a second; Ranma barely had time to blink when she felt the girl beside her, her fist already slamming into the side of her face. The force of the blow sent Ranma reeling, whirling from the momentum only to come face to face with the girl again. The girl grabbed a fist full of her hair and slammed her first into her uprising knee.

Pain exploded through her head, tiny stars of agony pulsing in the darkness of her mind as her entire body froze for a second. It was all the double needed as she slammed her foot into Ranma's stomach, the force of the blow lifting her off her feet and dropping her on her knees.

Ranma glanced up in time to see the girl draw her leg back for another attack, and caught the leg as it came swinging at her, sneering up at the double with an angry scowl. As the other girl blinked in surprise Ranma wreathed her off her feet and slammed her hard against the ground, before springing up and jumping back to put some distance between them, still trying to quell the surging of shock swirling through her.

She hadn't expected this. Her double had been acting so erratic and irrational, and taking that first hit the way she had, Ranma had mistakenly thought the battle would be over quickly, that the girl was too far gone to be able to fight properly. She couldn't have been more wrong and she saw it now, saw the calculated movements of the strange girl. The double had taken that first hit to test _her_!

"_You stupid fool Saotome!"_ she cursed herself. _"You got cocky like you always do and now see where's got you. You're getting sloppy!"_

The double was suddenly on her feet, blood trailing down her forehead, between her eyes and around her nose, cheeks streaked with dark dirt and light grazes. She stared furiously across the plateau, visibly trembly as an inhuman roar erupted from her mouth, golden light suddenly pulsing between her hands.

Ranma baulked at the overwhelming amount of ki flowing between the girls hands, recognizing immediately the _Moko Takabisha._ It felt exactly the same as her own, except with one difference.

This girl's _Moko Takabisha, _was fuelled by rage...

Ranma felt every muscle in her body suddenly tense as the girl locked gazes with her once again. "Aww shit..."

"You will die!" she screamed.

….

…

…

…

….

Akane was struck by the quietness of the room as she closed the door, cutting off the sounds of the restaurant to a dull muffle. She leant against the door, resting her head against it as she closed her eyes, trying not to think about the heavy dark rings that hung beneath them. Her nights had been restless since Ryoga and Ukyo had brought Ranma back from Akari's; stressed from worry for the deranged red head. She couldn't get the look of irrational rage in Ranma's eyes out of her mind. She kept seeing it, over and over again.

She looked around at the girl laying on the bed, trying to reconcile the peaceful calm form with the..._monster_ that had very nearly killed Akari, who would have killed Ukyo and maybe even herself had she given her reason too. Looking at her now it was hard to believe it had happened at all.

She shook her head and sat down beside the bed.

Since Ranma had been put in this state they had tried to have someone with her at all times, but when it became obvious that there was really nothing they could do for her Cologne had convince them all to consider their own well being now. Even still they it wasn't enough to stop them from coming and sitting with her altogether. At least if Ranma woke up there would at least be a chance that someone would be with her when she did.

She didn't want her to be alone when that happened if she could help it.

"You're such a pain sometimes, you know that Ranma," she sighed tiredly as she rested her book bag across her lap. "You always did know how to get yourself in the most extreme kinds of trouble possible."

The red head's chest rose and fell with soft gentle breaths, her eyes fluttering every so often beneath her eyelids. Akane couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside her head at the moment, wondering what it was Ranma was seeing or experiencing within herself. She wished she could help her somehow, to be able to join her inside her head and help her fight whatever battle she was fighting.

This was worst than simply being excluded from a fight, from not being skilled enough to be of any great help. She was helpless in the truest sense of the word, forced to sit back and wait just like everyone else.

"Not that you would let anyone help you though, would you? You're too stubborn for your own good and one of these days it's going to get you killed," she glared accusingly at the prone girl, feeling genuine frustrated anger.

To think this could have all been avoided if they had never heard of that stupid jewel. If Ranma and Ryoga had never gone after it than the Preservation Society would never have had any reason to come after them again and Ranma would never have been subjected to Yukino's cruelty and wouldn't be suffering now. That one thing could cause such a disastrous series of events that would change all their lives seemed impossible, and yet here they were.

Akane felt a tear slide down her cheek, thinking of all the things that would never be now, of the future they would never have. It wasn't the first time she had thought about it; it had been at the forefront of her mind ever since Ryoga, half dead from exhaustion had collapse in front of the Tendo Training Hall with with Ranma on his back. But today, the thoughts were stronger than ever, cruelly taunting her with that with which she would never have. It hurt more than she could describe; not just because of what had happened to Ranma in the last couple of months, but because she could have prevented it all if she had just been honest in the beginning, when she had come to realize that underneath his arrogance and egotistical male pride, that Ranma wasn't the mean hearted jerk she had thought him to be. Instead she had been blinded by her own stupid pride, determined to have him make the first move.

She had never wanted this though...

...Tears started to trickle down her face, eyes reddening as months of anguish finally bubbled to the surface and spilled out.

"Why did you have to go after that damn jewel?" she demanded, not caring if the red head could answer her or not, or if she could even hear her at all trapped within the confines of her own mind. Perhaps that even made it easier. "Did you know how worried I was when we realized where you and Ryoga had gone? Did you even stop to think about how I might feel? It wasn't fair Ranma! You had no right to leave us behind like that, it wasn't your choice to make; you had no right to make that choice for _me_!"

She still remembered that morning she had woken up and found the letter Ranma had left for her, if it could even be called that' _'Gone with Ryoga to get the Jewel by ourselves, be back soon.'_

It was like they had simply gone out to get milk or something.

"You have no idea how much that hurt," she whispered softly. "After everything we've been through together, that was the best you could do?"

She sat in silence for a long time, tears dripping on to her hands and lap as she hung her head, letting all the bottled feelings out at last.

A couple of times she had cried in private over what could only be described as being stolen from her, reconciling herself to her loss; but it wasn't the same, crying in the dark and feeding the anguish inside. She had wanted to berate and beat Ranma senseless, to vent her frustration the day Ryoga had brought the red head back from the sanctuary of the _Brotherhood, _but when she had realized what Ranma had lost, when she had grasped the gravity of the situation she just couldn't bring herself to do it. In the days and weeks that followed, Ranma's grief and despair had robbed her even more of the chance to release her own pain for fear of pushing the young Saotome further over the edge.

Really some part of her didn't even want to vent on the red head. As far as she was concerned they had both lost suffered in the past months, Ranma more than herself she would admit, but both of them all the same. Making Ranma feel guilty wasn't going to change anything; it wasn't going to make her feel better. Even still she couldn't deny that the pain was there, and she worried that it would never go away, not completely. It was something she had to learn live with.

She scrubbed furiously at her face with the back of her hand, sniffling hard as she dried her eyes. "We both have to learn to live with it."

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma sailed through the air as the golden beam of ki burned the air beneath her, smashing into the cavern wall and setting off more rumbling tremors that sent stalactites plummeting into the boiling lake. She screamed as she hit a platform and rolled, coming back to her feet and jumping a second later as huge chunk of rock pulverised the platform into dust.

"You damn monkey! DIE!" her double screamed, another _Moko Takabisha _slicing through the air after her.

She yelped and tucked her legs up beneath her chin as the beam cut past under her feet, and exploded with the same force as the last, a cloud of smoke and dust expanding out around her before she broke through the other side, tendrils of smoke trailing from her arms and waist. She landed on a falling chunk of rock and leapt to another, hopping from one to another as her double continued to fire beam after beam of ki energy with increasing speed.

"Stop it you psychotic demon!" Ranma screeched as she leapt up and grabbed one of the stalactites. She scrambled around it, frantically grabbing at its slippery surface trying to keep her grip. She glared scathingly at the double shouting over the fading roar of rumbles and tremors of rock grinding against rock. "I'm warning you! You better cut that out!"

The other girl snarled. "Or else what?"

"Or else I'll kick your ass straight to hell you little brat!" Ranma hissed.

"Go ahead and try it you insect!" the double cupped her hands, the air around her glowing with golden light once more.

Ranma cursed. "Crap!"

The red head leap from the stalactite a second before the golden beam exploded into it; shrapnel showering her tiny frame Ranma plummeted through the swirling steam, her arms flailing wildly at her sides. Her knees buckled as she hit one of the rising platforms and rolled across the hard surface, her clothes ripping as the rock tore through the silk of her shirt and flesh. She bounced herself off the ground with her shoulder, sliding along with her momentum into a crouch and breaking her speed with her hands; her face was set in a tired and frustrated scowl glaring up at her double dozens of feet above.

Currents of steams obscured her vision; her blue gems blazing with a growing anger burning deep inside. Every ounce of her being was filled with confusion, questions assaulting her mind from every conceivable direction. She wanted so badly to know what was going on, but every instinct she had honed and shaped and perfected in all her years of training screamed at her now to fight. This crazy bitch really did want to kill her.

"What's wrong little Ran-chan?" her double asked, speaking to her like she was a little kid. "You too scared to fight me!"

"That's it!" Ranma shot to her feet, white knuckled fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I have had it with you, you little brat! Who the hell are yo–"

Ranma's demand broke off into an agonizing scream that reverberated around the cavern like a thundering chorus of horns, grabbing at her head as her legs buckled beneath her, dropping her on to her knees. Overwhelming nausea washed over her in relentless waves that violently tossed and turned her stomach...

…_...She glowered dangerously at Ukyo, rage unlike anything she had ever felt rolling through her, battle aura blazing around her like a blue inferno embodying her anger. How dare this girl, this person that claimed to be her friend do this to her! How dare she betray her like this! She wanted to wrap her hands around the chefs neck and strangle the life out of her. She would make the bitch pay, she would make her suffer for thinking she could get away with this!_

"_Just calm down Ranma," Ukyo held her hands up defensively. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. Just tell us what's wrong."_

"_Don't play dumb with me you traitor!" Ranma screamed as she brought her arm up to attack..._

…...Ranma pitched forward on her stomach, panting heavily as the nausea faded to a mild unsettling discomfort in the pit of her gut. Her heart was racing and the pain was vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. The strength was suddenly gone from her limbs, like she had ran an impossible marathon; if she noticed however, she didn't show it.

Instead she gaped blankly in disbelief at the powerful emotions still coursing through her, a genuine hatred for Ukyo. The images forced themselves into the forefront of her mind, relentlessly forcing her to look at the confused terror that clouded the okonomiyaki chef's eyes.

They couldn't possibly be, but every inch of her said these images happened.

She screwed eyes shut and banged a fist against the ground and screamed: "What is going on!"

Without warning her double landed on the other side of the platform, landing with the grace and ease of a cat. A gust of wind came barrelling through the caves flicking her doppelganger's pig tail about as she glared down at her with undisguised contempt.

Ranma sneered as she forced herself to her feet, ignoring the protest of her body, never taking her eyes off the girl across from her. "Who are you?"

As if falling into sync the two began walk around the edge of the platform, matching each other step for step and locking gazes, a tense silence tying them together. Ranma felt her double's eyes boring into her as if trying to kill her with just a simple look; she couldn't help but feel the cold shiver of unease that rippled through her body, like she was looking into a twisted mirror of herself. The girl in front of her seemed wrong, but right at the same time, like she shouldn't be able to exist...

"I just wanted to be happy," the double finally growled, eyes seething with pure irrational hatred. "I just wanted to be me. I wanted to be with the one I loved but no, I wasn't even allowed that!"

Ranma frowned, trying to control the confusion swarming her...

…_...She crouched amongst the tall grass in utter silence, as still as a statue as she stared out at the compound before her, the squeal of numerous excited pigs filling the air. The cool evening air ruffled her hair, the red locks tickling her neck and face. The soil was nearly as cold as ice, dampness saturating the knees of pants as she watched and waited..._

…...Ranma faltered a step, squeezing her eyes shut as she steadied herself and shook her head, shaking away the sharp stabbing pain that viciously assaulted her brain like a hot poker.

The double didn't even seem to notice as her eyes flicked about irrationally and agitated. "What did they expect me to do? Just sit back and let that little witch get her way? I don't think so."

…_...The sky was turning a light pink with splashes of purples and scattered clouds, the sun skinning into the horizon. She felt impatience creeping through her, muscles twitching and her teeth gnashing together as she watched the passage of shadows moving across the ground. _

_Then her fingers tightened, scraping through dirt as she saw the girl appear, her rage flaring anew and every instinct shouting at her to kill!_

_She felt the corners of her mouth curl in a vicious grin as ki started gathering in her hands filling them with the warm pulsing light..._

…...Ranma blinked, her eyes wide with shock as she came to a sudden halt, her blue eyes quivering in horror as the images burned into the darkness of her brain until it was all she could see; alien emotions filling her to breaking point...

…_...The golden beam of energy tore through the air towards the girl, a sadistic glee filling her as she watched on, only for the massive pig to barrel the girl out of the way at the last second, the beam blasting into it and exploding with tremendous force!_

_Shock waves exploded outward, bending protesting trees and blasting leafs from the branch limbs..._

Ranma felt herself shaking as a sick feeling suddenly rose up inside her, her voice barely a whisper. "Akari..."

Her double hissed violently. "Yes! That little harlot! She was getting in my way and had to be dealt with quickly, to be made an example of. No one saw what she really was. A thieving little girl obsessed with what is 'mine!' No. No pig farmer is going to steal the happiness I worked so hard for! She'll pay though, after I'm done with you!"

Ranma stared at her, lost and confused. "Why? What possible reason could you have for wanting to hurt her?"

The double stared at her like it should have been obvious, as if she couldn't possibly have made it any clearer. "Because she was trying to steal m–ACK!"

Without warning the lake behind her double exploded ward in a geyser of boiling water. The double whirled around as Ranma's eyes widened in shock as a dark shape emerged from the top of the geyser, and landed in front of the other girl. Ranma felt her stomach lurch violently as she stared at the shape, at the human shape of disfigured and bloated fleshed, burst blisters oozing pus and vile fluids. The creature raised its head, one of its eyes falling out of a socket and dangling disgustingly by the optic nerve. Ranma collapsed to her knees and threw up.

The double trembled in terror, too afraid to move as she stared up at the towering monstrosity. "No! No you're not real! You can't be here!"

With impossibly fast reflexes, the monster snatched the girl by the throat and lifted her off the ground, kicking and screaming like a banshee. Ranma looked up as skin started to slip off the creature in chunks of horrible disgusting gore, splattering the hard ground. Its whole body seemed to shake and quiver, loosening more globs of flesh, but beneath it didn't reveal the muscle it should have; no, instead it revealed untouched skin.

Ranma's gasped as the rest of its _body_ fell away in a sudden whoosh, slowly, slightly shaking her head in disbelief, her mind suddenly shutting down and her limbs refusing to move.

She was staring at herself...

Her male self!

….

…

…

…

….

Ryoga felt awkward as he sat beside the bed, driven on by some unknown urge, a strange need that wouldn't relinquish its hold on him. Even still that didn't lessen the feeling of being out of place, especially when he should have been with Akari after what had happened. He only knew that he felt the need to be there, like he had to see recent events through to completion.

For his own peace of mind if nothing else.

He sat rigid against on the chair, rubs his hands back and forth over his knees, fidgeting as he looked around the silent room, wondering again what the hell he was doing there. It wasn't like Ranma would want him to be there, not when she had all her real friends and family there for her, and he was fairly certain that once she was back in her right frame of mind that he would be the last person she would want to see; his presence was only bound to make her uncomfortable.

He shook his head. "Right where we were three months ago Saotome."

It was funny the way events could repeat themselves, but in slightly different ways; he just hoped that Ranma wasn't going to suddenly spring awake and try to kill him this time. Not that he wouldn't blame her; he supposed she was entitled to one free shot at least even if it was neither his fault or hers, if she wanted to hit him that was.

He couldn't help but wonder where things would go from here, once Ranma was back to normal and all traces of Yukino's meddling was erased. How would these new events affect her. It was like the person they knew as Ranma Saotome was balanced precariously on a knifes edge and even the slightest push in either direction would seal her fate. Everyone assumed that when she woke up she would be back to normal, he could read between the lines; it could go either way.

"What am I thinking?" he smirked. "You don't know the meaning of losing, so why should this time be any different?"

He frowned suddenly, staring at the motionless red head. The comatose state she had been reduced to was more unsettling than the fevered state she's suffered during the journey from the sanctuary back to Nerima. With her soft, nearly unnoticeable breaths she almost seemed dead...

Ryoga rubbed his eyes, digging into the corners of the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling fatigue starting to catch up to him.

He sighed, once more feeling the acute sense of awkwardness from being alone in the room, not even really knowing why he had to be there. Maybe some part of him felt guilty for not reacting fast enough when Yukino had executed that one last attack on Ranma. He had seen the woman move; had seen her pull out the long wicked needle and send it splitting through the air into the red head's neck. If he had just pushed her out of the way, then this wouldn't have been happening now.

Perhaps that why he needed to see this through to the end.

He glanced down at her. "You have to pull through this Ranma. You don't have permission to fail...Not yet..."

….

…

…

…

….

Ranma slowly drew herself up, mouth slightly agape, blinking over and over again at her male self, as her female double kicked and struggled wildly in his grasp. She almost didn't recognize the face that had looked back at her from mirror for all those years. It felt like an eternity had passed since she had last seen her real self. It ignited a painful ache inside her heart, that sense of unquestionable loss she had suffered through when she had first woken up in the Tendo's house; and, suddenly she was feeling it all anew, every little emotion that had plagued her up until now.

Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly, her mind trying to form the words that wouldn't come.

"This can't be real, right?" the male double smirked at her. "That's what you're thinking ain't it?"

Ranma slowly picked herself up off the ground, unable to tear her eyes away from him. She felt chills shooting through her limbs, her heart pounding painfully against the inside of her chest, mouth drying with unease as her hands begin to shake. Her female double had shaken her; left her feeling unbalanced and confused, but it paled in comparison to the cold dread that washed over as _he_ locked gazes with her.

"Don't worry," he added. "This is all going to be over very soon."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her brain still trying desperately to catch up as she stared at him. "Who are you?"

"I am everything that makes you male," he replied calmly. "I'm your ego, your pride, your strength. I am everything that you sacrificed to try and get your hands on that damn jewel..."

…..._Red light exploded all around him, engulfing his body in a blanket of unimaginable agony. He heard himself scream, echoing off the cavern walls he knew existed beyond the field of crimson. Muscles seized and cramped, burning from the inside out as something began to change within. He felt the pain spread through his limbs, rapidly expanding from his belly out to consume his body..._

…...Without warning her legs buckled beneath her, dropping her hand on her knees as she pitched forward on shaky arms. Her stomach surged and rolled as waves of nausea swept through her like crashing tsunami's. She heaved and heaved until it felt like she was going vomit her stomach on to the rocky ground, but nothing came, only the bitter horrible taste of bile at the back of her throat...

…_...Part of him screamed, begging for death to take him; while another part of him feared he was already dead and this was the eternal agony of hell. His entire life was flashing before his eyes, millions of images, of friends and family, of fights great and small. He saw enemies and allies, the Jusenkyo springs and other places he had been; but, most of all he felt the fear that exploded within him._

"_Akane! Akane!" he heard himself scream..._

Ranma collapsed against the ground, her body trembling and cold despite the incredible heat around her. Her eyes gaped wildly, staring into space as her brain seemed to explode within her head. Her fingers twitched and a cold sweat trickled over her entire body.

Her male double smirked. "Those memory flashes are a pain in the ass aren't they? Its like eating Akane's cooking with molten lead for sauce."

"Help...me!" she gasped at the effort it took to even form those words, her jaw aching and her tongue feeling thick against the roof of her mouth.

"Help you? Why would I do that?" the male double nearly laughed as he walked over. He rolled her over with a rough push of his foot, staring down at her with cold furious eyes that stabbed through her like a dagger, the female double squirming violently in his grasp, causing him to frown. "You've caused as many problems as this psychotic freak. In fact I'm going to enjoy destroying you more than I will her... which is why I'm saving you for last."

The female double suddenly wrapped one leg around his arm and kicked him in the face with the other. The male Ranma reeled away, his fingers automatically releasing their iron grip from the girl's throat. The girl flipped backwards and landed in a crouch and then leapt at him with a furious scream, at the same time he whirled around and back handed her across the face. The red headed double spun like a rag doll in mid air, a surprised shriek and a yelp issuing from her lips as she crashed to the ground with a giant bruise already forming across her face. She looked up as his shadow fell across her, just in time to see his foot slam down through the air and into her stomach, ripping an agonized scream from her lips.

"Stop it!" the real Ranma shouted, struggling to prop herself up.

"Stay out of this!" the male double roared. "You had your chance and you blew it and she only made things worse. Because of her and Yukino the three of us are here now, in this mental crossroads. Whichever one of us is left standing at the end of this will be the one in control and I will _not_ be suppressed by you again! I am going to make things right; I'll make things the way they're suppose to be!"

"You're not making any sense," she grimaced as her arms wobbled and shook as she tried to sit up. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you two have ruined everything!" he snarled hatefully. "From the moment you woke up after the sanctuary you bitched and you whined, you cried and you moped around like a pathetic spoilt little princess, feeling sorry for yourself. Three months have passed and you've done nothing about reversing what's been done to _us!_ Worse yet you've grown complacent, accepting what's happened as if there really is no way to change back! You haven't even tried!"

She shook her head. "Because Cologne said there is no way."

The male Ranma scoffed. "Oh yeah, because Cologne has always been the perfect example of honesty the entire time we've known her. She has never tried to manipulate us into doing what she wanted or believing what she wanted us to believe. You've grown naïve and complacent!"

She couldn't deny the truth in his words; she had thought about it herself more than once, but Cologne's reaction when she woke up in the Tendo house, her anger at both Ryoga and her was too real to be passed off as an act.

"_No, don't let him get under your skin!" _she told herself.

Ranma growled under her breath, chest heaving with effort as she steeled herself and started to rise, her entire body trembling. Sweat poured down her face and neck, saturating her clothes and causing them to stick uncomfortably to her flesh. She glared dangerously at the male double, clenching her hands into fists as she rose up, swaying back and forth before she struggled to keep her balance.

"I am not going to let you do this," she gasped. "If what you say is true I wi–"

In two steps he had crossed the distance between them, his arm swinging up and smashing into her stomach with so much force that she was lifted off her stomach. All the air whooshed out of her lungs, her eyes widening in shook as she was lifted bodily off the ground. She tasted the coppery tang of blood filling her mouth, coating her tongue and spilling out over her lips. Time seemed to freeze as she doubled over the fist planted in her stomach, the air around her filling with her double's rage and hate, suffocating her.

The male double wreathed her head up by her hair and caught her across the face with a left hook, before snapping his arm back and slapping her with the back of his hand. She felt her body spin like a rag doll, her arms flailing about out of control as she fell backwards and hit the ground, her head smacking hard enough that she felt the skin split and blood begin to trickle out down her face...

…_...The ground felt so cold despite the heat, pressing against his body, digging into it with sharp edges and his brain swimming with confusion. Everything, every muscle, every joint felt like it was filled with lead. Arcs of crimson energy crackled around his body, over his fingers and disappearing into the rock._

_His eyes widened when he realized that his fingers were too slender, too soft to be his own; not his male fingers at least. In a rush he became suddenly aware of the hard ground pressing uncomfortably into the soft globes of flesh jutting from his chest, pressing into his naked body._

_Somehow, he was in his female form!..._

…...Her male double crouched down next to her, crossing his arms across his knees as he sneered at her.

"You've become so weak, its pathetic," he spat. "Look at you. Look at what being a girl has done to you. You're not the fighter that beat Herb, or Saffron, or Kirin or any of our other rivals. You're just a weak, pathetic little girl and I would rather die than let you turn us back into that."

He slugged her across the face again, her vision flashing on and off, stars exploding in her head like mini super novas. The male double chuckled sadistically as he stood up and turned his back on her, the light of the flaming torches turning his form into a silhouette with light glowing around him...

_... "You're next!"_

_The voice broke through the disorientating haze, snapping him awake. The world swayed back and forth uncontrollably, currents of steam swirling all around him. He stared to rise, only to pause suddenly when he saw his hand, red arcs of energy crackling around the the long slender fingers and the soft creamy flesh of his girl form's body. His eyes widened in confusion, heart skipping a beat at the sudden chill that craw through his spine._

_He glanced up to see the Guardian standing there, back to him and raising the Jewel in his hand, red light rippling around him. In an instant he saw everything around him, a second of clarity in which he saw Ryoga on the other side of the cavern on the rock cropping with terrified eyes and the monks lined around the numerous walkways chanting and celebrating._

_Instinct drove him forward before he even knew what he was doing. He slammed into the back of the Guardian with all the force he could put behind his small frame. _

_Time seemed to slow in that moment._

_The Guardian pitched forward out over the plateau, body tensing in surprise as he turned in slow motion and the look of horror spreading across the man's face, gasping in disbelief as his eyes locked on his own._

_Then gravity grabbed hold and the Guardian plummeted into the boiling lake below with an enraged terrified scream..._

…... In rush she was suddenly back , jerking in surprise as she stared up at her male double in abject horror, shaking her head at the undeniable reality forming before her; at the metaphorical blood on her hands.

"What...did I do?" she whispered.

"What did you do?" the male Ranma turned, his face set in stone cold calmness. "What we had to..."

As the words left his mouth the female double leapt on to his back, arm wrapping around his neck and locking in place with the other as she started to squeeze, screeching in his ear like a wild banshee as he roared and spun, trying to pry her arms away. Angry red veins stretched from the edges of her eyes, nose flaring and her face reddening in rage as she jammed her knee over and over again into his back with furious determination.

Without warning the male double dropped backwards, crushing the girl beneath his heavier weight. Her arms came away from his neck, her head snapping backwards with a sickening crack. Even as he rolled off her she was jumping to her feet, her small body spinning sideways and her leg lashing out to kick him in the fast, sending him whirling from the momentum. When she came around for another attack he caught her foot in mid air and wreathed her off her feet, slamming her back into the ground.

"You really think you have what it takes to take me on?" he laughed cruelly. "You're just a farce created by Yukino! What makes you think you could even have a chance in hell of beating me?"

The girl snarled as she rolled into a crouch. "I'll rip your fucking throat out!"

She leapt at him, leg cleaving up through the air with a ferocious roar; at the last second he stepped around the attack, and caught her across the face with the back of his hand. She flew backwards, bouncing across the hard surface and landing on the far edge, and in the space of second was on her feet and charging again.

Ranma watched, screaming inwardly in frustration trying to will her body to move as she was forced to watch the two battle back and forth, fists and feet flying back and forth as the two danced around one another. It was so surreal watching herself, fighting herself, her male and female forms waging a war she had always only ever imagined over the last few years.

The male double grabbed the girl around the throat and slammed her against the ground again, pinning her with his knee as he started to bombard her with punch after devastating punch as blood splattered his fist and face.

"All the years we endure Pop's ridiculous training!" he growled, continuously slamming his fist into her. "All those years we listened to him ramble on about being a man! Doing the manly thing, and enduring humiliation after humiliation all so we could fulfil his goal of making us a man amongst men! I wont let it be for nothing! I won't let you ruin our life over your sick deluded fantasies!"

The female double weakly grabbed by his collar. "You might destroy me, but you'll never kill my feelings. You'll be plagued by them for the rest of your life!"

The girl started to laugh, a soft chuckle at first that turned into the triumphant raucous of someone that knew they had won one way or another. The male double's face twisted into a mask of pure rage and hatred that rumbled up from the pit of his stomach and out through his mouth in a booming roar that exploded through the cavern as he slammed his fist one last time into her face.

In an instant, silence fell through the cavern; Ranma watched, prone and helpless from the side, as her female double's hand let go of the male's collar and fell with agonizing slowness, flopping limply against the ground with what sounded like a booming crash of finality.

The male double rose, shoulders rising and falling in heavy breaths, blood splattered clothes saturated with sweat.

"Its done..." he turned to look over his shoulder. "Now to finish this once and for all..."

Ranma was hefted off the ground, her arms hanging limply at her sides as his hand bundled the collar of her shirt, clenching the fabric so tightly that it almost seemed as if it would rip. Ranma stared wearily into her double's eyes, shrugging off his anger as he tried to glare into her depths, only furthering his growing rage as she saw the veins and tendons in his neck tighten as his jaw clenched shut like a bear trap; she almost expected his eyes to burst into flames they were so alight with a blazing fury.

"You're not me," she told him coldly.

"I am more you than you are," he replied. "You wouldn't be anywhere without my strength and resolve. Without me Yukino would have turned you into a shell of your former self. You would have been begging her make you into her weapon of destruction, her personal assassin! You would be a puppet without me. You keep telling yourself that I'm not you but you know deep down that you're looking at the real you, at everything you aspired to be growing up. Strong. Confident. Powerful and above all, a Man!"

Her face twisted into a disgusted smirk. "The kind of man that beats girls?"

His upper lip twitched angrily before he slugged her across the face; her head snapped sideways, a tooth flying from her mouth with a sticky crimson glob. Before she even had time to blink he hit her again, the back of his hand slamming violently into the side of her face, rattling loose more teeth and more blood that flowed freely into her mouth, catching in her throat and making her gag and hack.

"You brought this on yourself!" he snarled, fist crashing into her face again. He grabbed her lulling head by her jaw made her look at him. "You rather sit and whine, feeling sorry for yourself than find a cure."

She spat a glob of blood in his face, the red liquid splattering across the bridge of his nose. She smirked as he wiped the blood out of his eyes. "I would rather accept what I can't change...than be anything like you."

The back of his hand cracked across her face. "You're a stupid fool!"

"And you're insane!" she hissed.

"Why? Because I don't want us to spend the rest of our life as a girl! Because I want us to be able to spend the rest of our lives with Akane?" he gritted his teeth, drawing his fist back again. "If you had done the right thing in the first place then this wouldn't have even happened. But no...you let everyone get in your head, and you started to accept that there are no other choice...and worse yet, you've started to accept life as a girl!"

"That isn't true!" she snapped.

He jabbed a finger in face. "Don't! Don't you dare deny it! Look at you, even in this world inside our head, in _our_ _world_ you aren't even wearing guy's clothes, you're wearing the clothes you were brought _after_ you were trapped in that form...girl's clothing..."

Her nose flared angrily, glaring down the length of his finger at him.

"But that isn't even the worst part," he growled, forcing her to look at him. "Ask yourself this...If it isn't true, then why are you even in your girl form?"

Ranma suddenly felt her fierce mask melt away before she knew it was happening, giving over to one of uncertainty as her eyes flicked away from his, unable to look him in the eye as his words echoed through her mind like evil whispers.

"Yeah," he added acidly. "You know its true don't you. As much as you don't want to admit it. As much as you want to pretend nothings changed, you know as well as I do, that that is a load of crap..."

It was and it wasn't.

She still didn't like what had happened to her, that her choice had been taken away and the future she had seen for herself; but in only three months she had already grown used to living all the time in her girl form. It made her feel sick to think that she was already so comfortable that it no longer felt weird to spent every waking minute as a girl. It scared her to think where she would be in another three months, or six, or a year. She had no idea what the future had installed for her now; she was flying blind and it terrified her to no end...

"I am getting tired of this," he added. "Its time to end this..."

Before she could blink his fist was crashing across her face, her body flying out of his grasp and bouncing across the ground through currents of steam that broke apart around her in a swirling mess. She couldn't keep from crying out as pain exploded through her shoulder, the rocks cutting deep into the flesh until blood ran freely down the length of her arm. She looked up in time to see his foot arcing down, smashing into stomach so hard it felt as if her insides popped apart like overfilled balloons and ribs cracking like twigs as she screamed.

"What's wrong little Ranma?" he demanded.

He kicked her again as she tried to crawl away.

"Feeling weak!"

He stomped down on her back, pinning her to the ground.

"Maybe you just need a _kick _in the right direction!"

He slammed his foot into her side once more and sent her flying straight up; she screamed as her body flipped end over end as she arced up over the lake and landed on the central plateau, feeling the entire thing shake and rumble. She coughed and hacked, blood spilling out and splattering the ground in thick gooey globs. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rolled over, staring up at the stalactites in a world of pain that swirled around her. The male double landed on the edge of the plateau and started to calmly walk around the edge of it, never taking his eyes off of her as he cracked his knuckles and loosened up the muscles in is his neck and shoulders.

"Look at you," he shook his head in exasperation. "Look how weak you've become."

With a great effort she rolled on to her stomach and drew herself into a ball as she grasping at her stomach, bent over with her forehead touching the ground. All she could taste was the overpowering taste of blood washing back down her throat, the coppery tang stinging the roof of her mouth.

"There was a time, when you wouldn't have been brought down so easily by a couple of good kicks," he continued. "Hell, with all the beatings we've taken from Akane over the last couple of years this should be a walk through the park!"

She glared up at him with crimson locks of hair, her blue eyes blazing furiously, struggling against the pain pulling at her face. Sweat poured down her forehead, dripping off her brow and mixing with the puddle of blood.

"You know what it is don't you?" he asked as he completed his first lap. "Its because you're a girl. Oh don't look at me that way, we both know that as good as we are, the bane of our strength is always going to be that cursed form. No matter how good we are, that form can never beat this one and you know it. You remember our first real fight with Mousse don't you? We couldn't even beat that blind idiot with that form. So what makes you think, you'll beat this one?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block him out. Each word struck a cord of truth that threatened to rip her apart. She couldn't help bit think of every time she had put down Akane and Shampoo and Ukyo with her chauvinistic opinions and over inflated pride and ego. All the times Akane had asked her to help her train and become stronger, all the times she had blown her off as not being strong enough; she wondered if her words and actions had cut as deeply as those of her male double's did now?

"Remember all of those times Pops told us that martial arts was aman's world?" he asked her as if they were talking about the weather. She looked up at him again, to find him smirking arrogantly at her. "...He was right."

She screeched as he yanked her head up by her pigtail, lifting her so that her feet dangled uselessly a couple of inches off the ground.

"You know that this has been a long time coming right?" he growled ominously. "Since long before Yukino and the Guardian and what they did to us. This has been coming since that fateful day at Jusenkyo; since the first time you started to compromise everything that we strived for, since you started using that disgusting form for more than martial arts and every time you compromised just that little bit more, and every time I was pushed just that little bit further into the darkness. You've used that form to tease and flirt with boys, and to score free food and get special treatment. And, now it's time to pay the price for your actions!"

She sneered. "What do you want me to say?"

He stared darkly at her. "There's nothing you can say..."

His fist slammed into her face, his other hand letting go of her pig tail as she sailed backwards with time seeming to slow around her...

…_..."But you is still Ranma on inside?" Shampoo asked, cocking her head sideways in confusion as if trying to discern something about Ranma that couldn't be seen. "You is different on the outside, but inside is still same. So why is life falling apart?"..._

…...She hit the hard slippery surface of the plateau and bounced towards the edge...

…_..."This is just another challenge for you. I'm not saying it's the same as what you've faced before, but it is still a challenge that you have to overcome. You can overcome your fears, but only if you're willing to fight."..._

…...She hit the ground again and rolled to a stop, breathing heavily as an arm dangled limply over the edge of the plateau. She stared sightlessly across the surface at her male double's legs as he walked towards her, her vision beginning to blur dangerously...

…_..."But please, I want you to keep an open mind about what kind of future you can have. Don't discount every possibility you have just because you're afraid of compromising who you are, because your life can be so full and rewarding if you just have an open mind and that doesn't mean giving up who you are inside. Who you are inside, is forever and regardless of your gender. You won't lose yourself," she explained with more intensity then she had intended. She smiled reassuringly. "Just be you…"_

…...Ranma's eyes suddenly snapped wide with a silent gasp.

"It's time to bring this to end, little _sister!_" the male double drew his fist back as he wreathed her up again by the collar of her shirt with the other. "It's time for you to disappear forever!"

A booming clap of flesh against flesh thundered through the cavern. The male double's eyes widened as Ranma tightened her hand around his fist, glaring into his eyes with glowing determination. Her other hand reached up and clamped around the wrist of his hand holding her collar, compressing the pressure points until his fingers loosened from her shirt. He stared at her in shock, looking from her hands to her eyes, his mouth parting slightly in a small 'o.'

"I would rather be a girl..." she growled. "...than go back to being you!"

She released his arms and slammed her fist up into the underside of his jaw, lifting him off his feet, before sending him flying backwards with a double palm strike to his abdomen. The male double rolled backwards across the ground, coming back up in a crouch in time to see Ranma baring down in him, slamming her fist down into his face.

"You're an arrogant, egotistical jerk!"

She weaved around his fist as he jumped up, and kicked him in the face.

"You're a chauvinistic pig!"

She dropped and swept his legs from under him, dropping him on his ass.

"You're everything that's wrong with me!"

She caught his fists in her hands again as he leapt at her and let his momentum carry her backwards, rolling to the ground as she kicked him over her. She flipped back up on to her feet and spun around, blocking his kick an inch from her head like it was little more than a love tap, locking her piercing gaze with his own sudden fear widened eyes.

She smirked. "But most of all, you're just pathetic..."

The male double barely had time to blink, before his body convulsed as she laid into him with her _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken__,_ sending him staggering backwards with blood dribbling from his mouth and nose, his eyes rolling aimlessly around in their sockets; dazed and unbalanced he collapsed on his knees, glancing up at her in shock.

Ranma almost laughed. "Still think girl's are weak?"

He sneered in exhaustion. "How! Where did you find this strength!"

"You said it yourself..." she smirked. "...This is _my_ world..."

Without so much a single second of hesitation, she slugged him across the face. She watched as his body twisted backwards, eyes rolling into the back of his head as he crashed against the ground. He sucked in a deep lungful of air, his body tensing as his hands braced against the ground as if to rise...but then, with a great sigh his body sagged and went limp...

She spat stubbornly. "And I ain't givin it up for anyone!"

A sudden groan behind her caused her to spin around. Her female double was standing on the other side of the plateau where the bridge connect it with the other platforms that rose out of the lake; She grasped with one arm at her stomach and leant her weight on the pole one side of the bridge was tied to, shoulders rising and falling with agonizing slowness. Without warning she pitched forward, rolling as she fell down on to her back. Ranma rushed over and dropped next to the girl's side, carefully propping her up on her lap, trying not to feel queasy at the sight of the bruised and battered face staring back at her. She suddenly felt guilty, as if this was her fault...

"Wow...I must look like something out of Akane's cooking pot..." the girl whispered quietly.

"Don't be silly," Ranma told her. "_Nothing_ looks that bad!"

The female double laughed before being overwhelmed by a series of wet nasty coughs, blood spurting out of her mouth. Tears rolled down the sides of the double's face, trying to hide the fear that was so plainly evident behind the blue orbs.

"I'm sorry, for what I did," the girl chewed on her lower lip.

Ranma sighed. "You were just...trying to survive."

The female double looked up her, eyes glistening seriously. "Don't deny yourself happiness...no matter what...happiness isn't something earned...its a right everyone has..."

Ranma frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

The female double smiled warmly, the light of her blue eyes growing dimmer and slowly beginning to slide shut. "...You'll see...soon...enough..."

With a soft exhale of breath, the girl grew limp in her arms; a second later the girl's body began to glow with a soft hue of light that broke through currents of steam. Ranma stared in surprise as she watched her doppelganger start to fade away, bits of her body breaking away in tiny spots of light that floated up and burst apart like bubbles. It only a took a few seconds before the girl had disappeared altogether, leaving her kneeling there, mixed feelings surging through her, her double's final words echoing eerily through her mind...

"_You'll see...soon...enough..."_

See what?

"This isn't over!" she snapped her head up to see her male double staggering to his feet with his hands out stretch in front of him as golden light shimmered around the digits, his lips twisted in a deranged victorious grin of a mad man. "I am going to enjoy killing you!"

Ranma leapt to her feet and threw herself to the side as he unleashed the beam of "confidence" ki; it burned past her tiny frame, carving a trench out of the rocky ground. Ranma was on her feet and charging at him with her face contorted in a scream of rage.

"Wrong attack to use in here you moron!" she screamed as she skidded to a halt in front of him, her fist angling up from her side. "_Hiryū Shōten Ha_!"

Her fist crashed up into his jaw, energy unleashing at the same time that drew in all the heat around them and forcing it upwards. The clashing cold and hot ki formed the rushing winds around, ripping the water out of the lake far below into the twister as the male double screamed at the forces tearing at his body, torn pieces of clothing being drawn up and away. Ranma braced herself against the platform, grabbing on to the central pedestal as chunks of rocks were torn lose and carried away, disappearing into the water that was so hot that she felt as if her breath was being stolen from her lungs.

Suddenly the male double flew up, arms wildly and screaming, disappearing from sight as the twister slammed into the cavernous ceiling, sending boulders of rock raining down and shaking the earth with violent thundering tremors as the twister tunnelled through the ground.

Light flooded out of no where through the monstrous tornado of ki and water and chunks of rock spinning about. Ranma squeezed her eyes shut, but it didn't keep the light away; it pierced through her eye lids as the grinding of earth became a rumbling roar.

Ranma gasped as images flicked rapidly through her head, one after another in a montage of relentless glimpses and emotions...

…...For a single instant, she forgot about everything else around her, staring in disbelief at the image plastered across her mind.

And then...there was nothing but white all around her...

…...

…...

….

…

…

…

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Ranma awoke with a soft groan, her head aching with splitting pain that reached from behind her eyes into the core of her brain, clawing away like a cat on a scratching post. She stared up at a ceiling through blurred eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear her vision. She smelt the faint spicy scent of incense hanging in the air, mingling with the rest smells of Chinese cooking that filled the room and could hear the muffled conversations elsewhere.

Her stomach rumbled and gurgled, jabbing angrily with hunger pains as she sat up, letting the blanket fall forward as she grabbed at her head, trying to shake free the cobwebs that clung to the inside of her skull.

She felt like she had woken from a deep sleep.

"Ranma...?"

She turned in surprise to find Ryoga sitting next to the bed, staring back her in disbelieving shock, his mouth gaping like a fish gasping for air.

She felt her cheeks burn ever so slightly as he gaped at her intently. "Ry...Ryoga...what's going on...?"

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Yukino was shoved roughly into the restaurant by the purple haired Chinese girl; the entire place once more deserted, save for the people that had ruined her plans and literally turned her into an animal. She drew herself up, and held her head up high, staring them all down with icy glares that they returned with equal force. She would not let these people tear her down with their self righteousness.

"What is this all about?" she demanded coldly.

Cologne puffed on her long stemmed pipe. "Against my better judgement, we're letting you go..."

She felt her entire body flinch from shock, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she as gazed at the faces present. Something wasn't right, she could feel it like the present of an other worldly force lingering around her. There was a game afoot here and she didn't know the rules.

"...Why?" she asked cautiously, not liking the feel of not being in the loop.

"Because I struck a bargain with them, Yuki..." her eyes widened in surprise and she whirled around to find her father standing behind her, Shota at his side, his face set in a calm collected mask. "...Someone had to clean up your mess."

She gave him a dead look. "And of course you took upon yourself. If only you would show as much interest in avenging your slain grandson!"

He shook his head, sadness flashing across his eyes. "Their is nothing I can do for Keijirou now Yukino, except ensure that he isn't remembered for the carnage his mother caused in her quest to quench her blood thirst. You will get help this time, before you get yourself killed."

She snorted nastily. "You're more worried about your precious bloodline than you are about me."

"In time you will realize that is not the case," Hiroji sighed.

"We will see," she replied coldly. Then, she turned to Cologne and Nodoka. "But, I am curious as to why you would let me go regardless of any bargain you may have struck with my altruistic father?"

An arrogant, yet justified smirk tugged at the corners of the old crone's mouth as she exhaled smoke, passing through her lips like a dragon. "Well once we were sure, there was really no more reason to keep you around and personally, I don't want you taking up space in my basement."

The suspicion was back, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. "Sure of what?"

With almost cinematic-like exaggeration, the girl stepped out from behind her mother, her red hair shining and glossy, and brilliant under the lights of the restaurant, her blue eyes bright and full of life; Yukino could only stare in trembling disbelief, shaking her head at the sight before her.

Ranma grinned at the woman's incredulous look. "Once we were sure that your brain washing was completely removed."

"No," Yukino shook her head violently. "No! No! NO!"

She surge forward with a furious screech, stretching her manacled hands out, but Shampoo wreathed her back almost instantly. Yukino stared furiously at the smug smiling red head, clenching her teeth together to near breaking point. Without warning Ranma covered the distance between them and slammed her fist into her stomach, doubling the woman over, her insides feeling they were going to explode from the force of the impact.

Ranma whispered into her ear. "That, is for nearly making me kill one of the kindest people I know."

Yukino hissed angrily. "This is impossible! How are you back to normal?"

"That was my doing," her father told her as Ranma backed off. "I healed her and you get your freedom."

"You had no right!" she snarled.

"No!" her father snapped. "_You_ had no right toying with other peoples lives like they were your own personal dolls to do with as your pleased. Now stop acting like a spoiled brat; don't forget you're a Matsumoyri, start acting like one..."

She met his cold glare. "Between the two of us, I am the only one acting like a true Matsumoyri. You're the one that's forgotten what it means to be one."

"Its time that we were going," he said with a strained growl, grabbing her by the arm as he looked at Cologne. "Thank you for upholding your end of the deal Matriarch and for your hospitality through all this. Let's go Shota."

"One more thing," Cologne said as he started to head for the door.

Before anyone could react, the old woman disappeared; a second later Yukino screamed as a burning pain flared through her back, pitching her forward as she spun around, to find the old woman standing behind her, holding her pipe out like a weapon with smoke trailing up from the end. Yukino tried to look over her shoulder see what the woman had done, hissing as the burning continued to sear her flesh, panic surging through her.

"What did you do to me?" she demanded shrilly.

Cologne puffed calmly on her pipe. "I inflicted you with the Moxibustion point."

Yukino gaped in confusion. "The what?"

"The Moxibustion point," the old woman repeated. "You'll never be able to hurt anyone ever again. You're weaker than a new born baby now; you'll never be able to use your acupuncture techniques ever again."

"That was not part of the deal!" her father snarled.

Cologne pinned him with an icy stare. "I am changing the deal. Be lucky I don't change it to include you as well Mr Matsumoyri. Now, get out of my restaurant and pray that our paths never cross again."

An ominous silence fell across the restaurant, so thick with tension you could have cut it with a knife. Yukino let her eyes rove over the collected people, suddenly feeling very vulnerable as she saw the challenging looks in their eyes. She felt her mouth go dry as she grabbed her father's arm.

"Come on," she said shakily.

"For once, a wise decision," Cologne nodded. "Listen to your daughter. Go now, while you still can."

Her father growled with the frustration of someone that knew they could do nothing; they were out numbered and the old woman's skill alone was more than everyone else in the room combined. He looked as if he was going to attack, but every survival instinct he had held him back.

Slowly he exhaling angrily.

"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. "You win Matriarch..."

Without another word the three of them exited the restaurant in icy silence, feeling their enemies eyes on their back as they made their way down the street. Yukino seethed, her back tingling where the old woman had struck her, unable to deny the fear that the implications of the attack.

If her strength was gone...

No, she told herself quickly as she dismissed that train of thought; there was always other alternatives...

"By the way," her father said suddenly when they were almost out of sight. "We received your... package."

"Everything is ready then?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "Its all set up."

She smiled ominously.

"Let's get started then."

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Ranma watched in muted silence as the three disappeared down the street like nothing had happened, and wondered again if she had done the right thing in letting that evil witch of a woman live...

She could only pray that her decision didn't come back to haunt her...

As she turned around and walked back into the restaurant, her mother wrapped her up in her arms without warning and nearly lifted her off the floor. Her mother's warm encompassed her like a blanket of love, unconditional and absolute, days of stress breaking under the flood of relief of having her daughter back to normal. Ranma could only blink, overwhelmed and frozen in place. She felt everyone's relief for her so clearly as they stood around her. All she could do was return her mother's embrace with equal force, her entire body suddenly shaking and her heart thumping inside her chest…

She looked around at the smiling faces of her friends and family, letting herself smile as she savoured this feeling of victory – triumphing over Yukino's psychotic attempts to enslave her. More than that she savoured the new strength she felt surging through her, born from the support of those around her.

The weeks spent suffering Yukino's relentless torture, of sitting in the cold dank dark, her stomach cramping with hunger like it was trying to eat itself from the inside out and all the pain she forced herself to endure, was nothing compared to the fleeting fear that she would never see her friends and family again. She cursed herself for allowing the fear to worm itself into her heart, growing like some malignant virus; cursed herself for letting herself think that her friends wouldn't come for her, for letting the despair of her situation get to her.

That wasn't going to happen again.

Ranma looked up from her mother suddenly in realization, and glanced around the room in surprise; and frowned at what she didn't find.

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"Were you just going to go without saying goodbye?"

Ryoga slowed to a halt and turned, his eyes meeting Ranma's with a weariness that surprised her. In a flash she felt a surge of embarrassment, cheeks burning as memories flashed through her mind of how she had acted under the control of her curse's 'female personality' compulsions and misguided delusions. She thought he would look at her with his patterned anger and contempt for what she had done and tried to do to Akari; instead he looked at her tired and drained, looking older than she remembered.

"I thought it would be best," he replied calmly. "I need to get away from this place for a while. I owe Akari that much after all this."

She flinched at the mention of the pig trainer's name, the memories of her rogue self stabbing relentlessly at her guilt center. The shame she felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She had been forced to humiliate herself and terrorised one of the gentlest, sweetest people she had known, aside from Kasumi. The fact that she had come so close to killing the girl made her blood run cold.

"I'm sorry," she looked away from him as she said it, pride getting the better of her. "I'm sorry for what I tried to do her. It doesn't make up for what I did b–"

"Don't be," he replied wearily, cutting her off. "It wasn't your fault, what happened. You were as much a victim as she was, so don't beat yourself up about it. I'm just sorry she had to get caught up in the middle of all this."

"Even still, I'm sorry…" she repeated quietly.

An uncomfortable silence fell across them, the two of them standing there in the darking twilight, ignoring the chill around them. Night was quickly approaching, the mass of clouds that had blocked at the sky for so many days now had broken and given away to a clear cloudless canvas of black and twinkling lights starting to emerge. Ranma glanced up in time to see a shooting star blaze across the sky. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the streak of light vanished without warning.

This day was ending...

When she pulled her eyes from the sky above a few seconds later…Ryoga was gone…

She sighed heavily and hung her head, her shoulders sagging…

"Idiot…"

…...But tomorrow, would be a new day...

_**To Be Continued**_

**A/N: Ok, that was a long bitch of a chapter!**

**This is the turning point of the story.**

**Things are going to start progressing after this, rapidly I hope.**

**Now a bit of clarification for those that might need it. Inside her head the two "entities" that Ranma was confronted with was the psychotic homicidal female personality brought to life by Yukino's meddling and the other was her, for lack of a better definition, her Male Ego. The male ego was born from every arrogant, condescending, chauvinistic, insensitive and self absorb aspects of Ranma's male side and everything Ranma would compromise when using her female side to advantage – i.e. flirting with guys to get free food, using her body to distract opponents, etc, etc.**

**The male ego was born primarily from my personal dislike of how Ranma views most female fighters in the series and how he won't take them seriously in a fight unless he absolutely has to, and even then most of the time he'll fight them only as a girl which I think is insulting. Which is why I thought it was a good thing to put Ran-chan on the receiving side of that for a change – the not being taken seriously part. **

**The part about Cologne's son I just threw that in on the fly it wasn't originally going to be part of the chapter.**

**Additionally I hope people will agree with Cologne's additional punishment she inflicted on Yukino . I figured that once Cologne knew how to remove the Moxibustion it wouldn't be hard for her to learn how to inflict it, which had me imagining her using Mousse to practice on **

**I hope this chapter was worth the wait; I'll understand if it isnt, I had my own doubts and dislikes about this chapter. I probably restarted it about a dozen times before I was able to forge ahead with it and I just got to the point where I wanted to get it finished. I figured a chapter was better than no chapter at all, and no writer can produce perfect, great chapters every single time.**

**Anyway, I'm looking for to getting into the next chapter once I iron out a few new details and I hope it wont take as long as this one did.**

**On another note, we're coming up on the one year anniversary of Tabula Rasa! It doesn't feel like its been that long to me. Only feels like yesterday that I sat down to start writing it.**

**Anyway, I hope yah's stick around for more, because its gonna start to get interesting.**

**Till next time, ^_~**


	17. Intermission: Reflection

**A/N: **

**Ok, not exactly what you all were expecting but I was sitting here reading some of the stuff I'd done already for chapter 17 and was looking at this and thought it would be a good intermission piece before the story starts up properly again. **

**I personally don't like uploading chapters this short, I think it's a cheap copout 95% of the time, but I thought since I had made you all wait this long I should at least offer up something for the mean time as I work to finish chapter 17.**

**Its not very long, or even in-depth really, just a short little piece kinda concerning some of the aftermath of Chapter 16. **

**So, I hope you enjoy this, if not then so be it, but hopefully chapter 17 won't be that far away.**

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Intermission

_Reflection_

Ranma sunk knee deep in the thick snow as she leapt off the roof, the damp soaking through her pants and stinging her legs with freezing cold. She gritted her teeth, pushing away the sensation as she had a thousand times in the past, and brought the quarter staff up at the last second to block her father's with a resounding crack of wood against wood. She felt the jarring shock shoot down through her arms, legs bending and sinking her deeper into the white powdery ice.

Then she pushed his staff aside, spun hers behind her back and swept his legs out from under him in the space of a second. The older man fell with a heavy crash, snow flying up all around as his feet kicked at empty air. Ranma grinned victoriously, twirling the staff through the air around her in a dramatic flourish; only for her father's staff to crash against her collar bone.

She cried out before she could stop herself, pain lancing through the bone as she stumbled awkwardly back through the snow. Genma was already up and leaping through the air, his quarter staff poised to strike; Ranma snarled and ducked, feeling the displaced air ruffling her hair as the staff passed fraction of a centimetre over her head, then swept her staff up and struck the old man in the armpit with more force than her someone her size should have been able to. Her father dropped like a sack of bricks, landing hard on his knees. He brought his staff up as quickly as he could, but it was too little too late; Ranma snapped her weapon up, the butt of it catching her father in the chin and threw him backwards with a heavy crash against the wall surrounding the house.

Genma groaned and reached for his staff, only for the butt of Ranma's weapon to drive into the wall next to his head. He glanced up the length of the shaft of wood, and found his eyes locked in the dangerous, challenging gaze of his furious red headed daughter.

Her father held up his hands in surrender. "I give."

Ranma couldn't hide the surprise that tugged at her features, dropping the angle of her staff slightly. Her father rarely gave in, not the father she was used to sparring with.

"You're losing your edge, Pops. You would never have let me win so easily back then," she replied, before she frowned and glared piercingly at him "You had better not taking it easy on me because I'm a girl now, Old Man…..."

Her father returned her glare with a calm even stare that shook her once more, and reminded her that even if he did still act like a clown, he had changed.

"When have I ever taken it easy on you?" he growled, face red as he breathed heavily, sweat pouring down his face. "You're faster than you used to be."

"Well maybe if you stopped stacking on the pounds you wouldn't be so slow," she replied teasingly.

Genma growled and snatched up his staff, and swept it around and up; Ranma was already in the air, somersaulting in mid before landing gracefully on the tips of her toes on the other end of the weapon, her weight barely more than that of a sack of feathers. With typical Saotome flair for dramatics she leapt off, arching backwards through the air with a languid flip that seemed to last forever before finally landing with her quarter staff imbedded in the ground and light frame perched perfectly. Ranma grinned wildly at the look of irritation on her father's face.

"Too slow Old Man!" she called, poking her tongue out trying to goad him into attacking. "You're as slow as Akane."

"Ranma!"

The red head lost her balance as the snap of her mother's whip like tone sliced through her, toppling to the snow blanketed ground in alarm. She blinked away the pieces of snow stuck to her long dark lashes and found herself staring up nervously at the disapproving eyes of her mother, her father's laughter echoing across the yard.

"That was rude," Nodoka added sternly, igniting a small spark of shame inside Ranma's chest as she sat up. "Akane is much faster."

Genma's laughter ended abruptly and was replaced by Ranma's explosive burst of laughter. The look of disbelief colouring his face was priceless as he stared slack jawed at his wife with a clear air of over exaggerated betrayal; he still wasn't – and probably never would be – used to the sudden and dramatic shift in power that had occurred against him. It was enough to make even Nodoka laugh.

"Would you two stop!" he snapped desperately.

Nodoka gave him a tolerant look with a warm smile – that was also completely unsympathetic. "Oh stop being such a grumpy bear."

Genma grumbled under his breath.

"Ranma, could you go to the store for me," her mother asked. "I need a few things for dinner tonight."

"Sure," she said as she took the piece of paper her mother held out to her and – reluctantly – took the purse of money too, which she thought look entirely too feminine for her liking. "I won't be long."

"Ok honey," her mother voice trailed after her as she disappeared into the house.

She was slipping on her shoes when she heard her father say. "I'll show you who's a bear"

Followed by her mother's girlish squeals and giggles.

Ranma suddenly felt sick with realization. "….Eww!"

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Despite the weather, the cold drizzle of snow that continued to fall across the city like flour through a sifter, the park was wildly crowded. Children ran and played as older folk walked leisurely to and forth and young couples busied themselves in each others eyes, blocking out the world around them. Ranma took it all in as she stopped and sat on the edge of the fountain in the centre of the park. She sat down her mother's groceries on the ground and let her eyes, and mind wander.

Things had turned so quiet.

It had barely been a week since she had overcome the brainwashing that had nearly killed her and it was like everything had returned to normal; well, as far as normal went for life in Nerima. Without being constantly chased and hounded by Ukyo and Shampoo, or even Kodachi, she had found a new meaning to the word peaceful and she didn't like it. She felt like she was sitting on her hands with nothing to do. At the very least though, she was glad that Kuno – finally recovered and back to fighting form after the number Ryoga had done on him – had left her alone since his return. Whether or not this was because he didn't know she was around, she wasn't sure, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he came pounding at her door declaring marriage proposals and the last thing she needed was that idiot putting stupid ideas in her mother's head.

Ranma felt her eyes fall downward to the snow covered ground, frowning; it was _too_ quiet.

With everything that had happened she still found her mind wandering back to the same thing over and over again; wandering back to that same moment of absolute vulnerable desperation and uncertainty that had tightened her chest and paralysed her tongue. And, she wasn't sure how to make sense of any of it yet.

She sighed; there was far too many questions running rampant through her head for her to be able to answer, let alone about what she was feeling or how to deal with them.

She was out of her de–

A sharp squeal escaped her lips as a snow ball smashed into her forehead without warning, a second and a third exploding against her shoulder and face a second later, turning her vision white as her arms flailed wildly to keep herself balanced. A chorus of laughter filled her ears as she whipped the freezing cold slush away from her eyes, blinking back little clumps snow to glare at a group of little kids, some still armed with their icy missiles that looked entirely too pleased with themselves.

She stood up slowly, her jaw set firm as she locked them with a steely gaze. The kids backed up a few steps, their laughter ending abruptly as their eyes quivered with sudden uncertainty; like they had just poked a sleeping dragon.

"Big mistake," she growled; she scooped up a pile of snow and cradled it in the crook of her arm, suddenly smirking viciously. "Now you'll feel the wrath of Ranma Saotome! _Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, _Snow Ball edition!"

The park was suddenly filled with the sound of squealing children running from a hail storm of snow balls, and the sound of an insane red head cackling after them.

The answers to her questions could wait.


	18. Chapter 17: Unspoken Pt1

**A/N: **

_**Hey all! **_

_**Long time no see!**_

_**I am so sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter up. I know I promised to have this up back at the beginning of January but shit happen that got my distracted from writing, then I got writers block again, and then I started doing a hospitality course that was very involved at the beginning. **_

_**I know, excuses, excuses.**_

_**As it is, this chapter has started getting so long that I've had to chop it into parts, and hopefully I will have the second and final part of this chapter done by the end of the week as the second part is nearly finished thank god. So all in all I thought this was a good time to post the first half now that I've decided to split it.**_

_**Hopefully this is the beginning of getting back into a proper routine with writing because I really want to finish this story.**_

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Chapter 17

_Unspoken_

Everything was bathed in the cold grey light of the winter's day.

Snow drifted lazily from the discoloured clouds above and settled on the outstretch limbs of trees and solitary boulders; a beautiful but depressing sight at the same time. The sun tried valiantly to pierce the oppressive blanket of thick greyish clouds, but even its couldn't pierce the tightly packed masses that hung in the sky like a miasma. The forest was silent as well, devoid of life it seemed, save for the occasional set of tracks; there wasn't even the cacophony of insects to fill void, only the rare resounding whip like crack of overladen branches of snow coming away from their trees and crashing to the ground.

The forest felt like a tomb.

Ryoga yawned loudly as he jiggled the fishing line; he couldn't remember ever being so bored in his life. The hours seemed to tick away at an excruciatingly slow rate, and in all the time he had been out here, he'd only caught one fish and even that was of questionable size. It was too cold for most fish, but he'd be damned if he was going to go back empty handed…

…Akari would scold him though if he caught a cold because he was too proud to lose to a stupid fish.

Just thinking of the Sumo Pig trainer made him smile, picturing her warm caring eyes; it filled him with warmth, made him forget about the frigid air of the winter day. There were no words to describe just how lucky he was to have her as a girlfriend, or that she would still want to be after everything she had to put up with. She was too good for him and he knew it.

He frowned as a fish suddenly leapt out of the stream and then dived back under again just as quickly, as if taunting him. It wasn't the first time it had done it – and he was certain it was the same fish – and he was sure it wouldn't be the last either. He shook his head and pushed the impetuous fish from his mind. Instead the teenager turned his attention to the snow blanketed forest around him, taking in the tones of white and grey and the bits of green and brown that peaked out here and there, and enjoyed the serenity of it all.

The silence and absence of the urban hustle and bustle sometimes made the solitude of the forest and wilderness seem overwhelming, like you were the only single human in existence. He didn't mind it though, he couldn't really afford to with the amount of time he spent lost than where he was trying to get to. The sound of nature at work, bird songs, insects chirping and other animal life going about their daily business was often the only comfort to find. Most people wouldn't be able to stand being away from the luxuries of urban civilization, but Ryoga found it rejuvenating after being in a city for too long, and that it could take his mind off, other things.

He stared back down at the cold uninviting stream with a downcast expression; some things, even the beauty and tranquillity of unspoiled nature couldn't dismiss that easily…

It was hard to believe that it had already been a week since he had left Nerima and only a few days since he had arrived at Akari's with fewer than normal detours that he had come to expect.

It still felt like it had only happened yesterday to him. He wasn't even sure he had really stopped walking once he had left the Nerima ward, everything seemed to blur together until he finally reached Akari's. Only then did he let himself truly rest and try to put everything behind him where it belonged.

Ryoga sighed in miserable irritation as his thoughts defiantly drifted to the recent events that had driven him from Nermia, like some sort of masochistic need to emotionally torture himself. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, nights of little sleep starting to show in the dark rings that hung beneath his often distant gaze. So many nights spent second guessing his decision to leave, eventually always returning to the same answer; there was no other choice, he needed to get away from that place, long enough to clear his mind. But even that had failed miserably. It was all he could think about most of the time, when his thoughts should have been solely on Akari and 'mend' their relationship.

But, he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to her...

Ranma Saotome.

But she just kept worming her way into the forefront of his mind, clouding his thoughts with images of her, humbled and vulnerable as she had been when they escaped from the Guardian and his Mad Monks, and again when she was fighting the manipulations of Yukino. He hated to think of her that way, his so called rival; although, he would readily admit there had been a time not too long ago when he would have given anything or been overjoyed to have seen the old, arrogant and smug Ranma, the one that had made his life a living nightmare put in such a state, but that time had long since past. Now...remembering her in that state...it left him with deep aching emotions that he didn't know how to express; not that he was sure he would understand them anyway even if he could.

Maybe it was a bond forged in their ordeal in trying to steal the Jewel. Maybe some part of him felt guilty for all the times he had tried to 'kill' Ranma. Maybe he was too chivalrous for his own good and could only see the female Ranma now and not the one that he had known since junior high. Whatever it was, he didn't understand it, but even imagining for one moment that she was in pain, being hurt by someone like Yukino...it ignited a burning anger inside of him that made him want to break down everything in path.

He had hoped by leaving Nerima behind him, by moving on he could focus on the important things, like spending time with Akari for a change, giving her the attention she deserved for all she had to put up with. It hadn't surprised him when she had told him that she didn't blame him or Ranma for what had happened – after all Ranma was as much a victim as she was – but even her generous forgiving nature wasn't enough to quell the stormy emotions inside him, or the turmoil in his heart. Nevertheless he tried to always keep Akari at the forefront of his mind, thinking about her as much as possible, but was hard when almost everything reminded him of, her.

Even now he couldn't help but wonder if the red head – whose knack for getting into trouble should have been even more legendary than his lack of sense of direction – was ok, fighting his overprotective nature.

He couldn't help but feel like a coward, like he was running away; and, maybe he was. After all her had waited until her back was turned until he charged blinding into the darkening night. He had been afraid though, that had he let her finish, she might have talked him into staying around. If anyone could have, he was pretty sure that at the time, it would have been her.

He knew without a doubt though, that leaving, even if just for a while was the right thing to do. Everyone needed time to cool off after everything that had happened, and he needed time to think and process everything in his own way.

The dark haired teenager sighed, shaking his head free of the distracting and muddled thoughts. He wasn't going to let it control him; he had made the decision to leave and it was the right one. There was nothing in Nerima for him anymore. He had a girlfriend that loved him and he couldn't want for anything more, other than a half decent sense of direction of course.

No, he was better off far away from Nerima as possible… It was too strange being around Ranma anymore…

Ryoga let out a frustrated growl as the fish flopped out of the water and disappeared beneath the surface again with a noisy splash that sent ripples rolling out in every direction.

"That's it!" he said in disgust.

He pulled the line back in, hopped off the rock and gathered up his gear and his one pathetic fish and started to hike back along the trail into the forest, snow crunching under his feet with surprising volume. He was looking forward to getting back to the training hall and basking in the warmth of an open fire with Akari next to him, even if he did have to share her with Katsunishiki half the time.

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Akari woke with bleary eyes and cotton for brains, slow to process her surroundings as she was drawn against her will from the land of dreams. She shivered at the wintery chill in the air, feeling it penetrate relentlessly through skin and muscle. She drew in a deep breath, holding it for a second before it came back out in a half yawn half sigh that shook her entire body from head to toe, before drawing the blanket tighter around her and buried her head up to cheeks in it; she never wanted to get up from this spot, it was too nice.

The blanket was like layers of warmth soaked clouds wrapping her small body. It brought back memories from when she was a little girl and her mother would sit her on her lap and read to her, or as they watched her grandfather train the pigs, one arm always protectively drawn around her.

She missed those times...

...They seemed like a million years ago now.

Unconsciously she gripped the blanket tighter.

She couldn't help but smile though, because now she had Ryoga to keep her safe and warm. Just thinking of the tall, dark haired and rugged young man was enough to fill her with a sense of security and love; even if he did seem a little distant since arriving.

Maybe he was embarrassed, or guilty; she didn't know. Sure they had talked briefly about what had happened when he arrived, but she had sensed immediately that it wasn't really something that he wanted to – or was ready to – talk about just yet; whether it was exhaustion from his journey or because of something else. So, she had left it at that, trusting that he would open up when he was ready to. Really she was happy simply to have him around for a change. Of course several days had passed since he had arrived and whatever it was that burdened his mind wasn't letting up, although his smiles seemed less force when he assured her the night before that everything was fine when she asked. She wasn't so sure about that, but it wasn't as if she could force him to talk about something he didn't want to; and the last thing she wanted to do was be one of those nagging girlfriends that couldn't leave well enough alone.

He would talk about what was on his mind when he was ready, she just had to have faith in him and be patient.

Akari frowned suddenly, squinting through sleep caked eyes.

Why was everything so bright? It should be darker than this...

She rolled over and glanced wearily at the clock, reluctantly rubbing her eyes so they would focus. She sighed with relief though; it was only 12pm...

...

...

...

'WHAT!'

Akari shot up with a screech, arms flailing, limbs tangled in the blanket, before managing to wreath it away and snatch the clock off the bedside nightstand. She stared incredulously at the digital numbers as if trying to will it to be a different time.

'No! I over slept! Why didn't someone wake me up?'

She had chores to do and here she had wasted half a day lazing around in bed! It was going to take her forever to catch up on everything.

Akari race around like a living hurricane; she threw the covers of her bed back haphazardly and threw on clothes without barely sparing a moment to check what she was wearing. At that point she didn't really care so long as she was dressed since she would be wearing her thick winter jacket over them anyway. She didn't have time to worry about her clothes; she didn't even pause as she raced past the kitchen like a mad woman and burst outside...

...And came to a sudden stop.

Akari stared out at the training grounds in complete and utter stunned silence, eyes widening with shock and confusion. The night before there had been heavy snow; she and Ryoga had sat on the porch steps and watched as the snow fell out of the sky like powder through a sift. While admiring the beauty, she had also stared at it with dread, thinking about the work that would need to be done in the morning. Now, all that now had been shovelled and piled neatly aside, the walk ways free of the slippery slush. The training ring had been similarly cleared of snow and attended to and when she turned and looked around her, the veranda / walkway that wrapped around the outside of their home had been scrubbed, washed and polished.

Everything she was suppose to have done...was done...

'That young man thought you could use the extra sleep,' her grandfather explained as he came up beside her. 'And I agreed with him.'

She was speechless, and touched. 'He, did this for me?'

Her grandfather smiled. 'He is a thoughtful young man. I woke to find him already hard at work. When I asked him why, he said it was because he thought you worked too hard sometimes, and I agree. You deserve more time to yourself for once.'

She looked around for him, but didn't see him. 'Where is he now?'

'He said he was going to go fishing after he was done, that was a few hours ago now though. Perhaps he needs some time to think through some things as well' he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'In any case, I'm sure the pigs have missed your presence this morning. You should go see them, they would enjoy that.'

Akari smiled brightly and all but bounded down the steps and across the training grounds towards the pig pens. She noticed immediately that Ryoga had even repaired the minor damage that Ranma had caused during her rampage. She would never cease to be amazed by the sheer selflessness of Ryoga's nature. She had never met anyone before that was as caring and thoughtful as he was. The more she spent time with or around him she was certain of one thing. Fate had brought them together. They were meant to be.

The pigs must have sensed her coming, she could hear them squealing and grunting up a storm in a flurry of excitement. She laughed as she came around the corner to see them trying to climb over the top of each other to her first, trying to get the most attention. They were always so full of energy, like over excited children

'Settle down! Settle down!' she chided them in amusement. She turned and saw their feed bag – filled with a special dietary mix that her family had been using for generations – propped up against a wall and grinned. 'How about a treat huh?'

If they had been loud before, now their squeals and grunts rose to a deafening cacophony of noise, making her laugh more in delight at their antics and limitless energy.

Akari yelped as she pitched forward a couple of steps when something heavy pushed her from behind. She spun and glared accusingly at the giant pig standing behind her, somehow managing to form a cheeky, playful grin, that carried through it eyes as well.

'Katsunishiki!' she wagged a finger at him mock seriousness, speaking to him like a mother would a child. 'You can wait your turn just like everyone else.'

The giant pig grunted in disappointment like a sulking child.

'Oh no, don't you dare try that look with me mister! I know all your tricks and they aren't going to work one bit,' she warned. Without warning and he snorted a blast of air into her face. She reeled back, wrinkling her nose and making her gag. 'Gross!'

Katsu made a sound that was unmistakeably laughter, or what passed for laughter from a pig that was bigger than a baby elephant.

Akari didn't care what anyone said. Pigs were far from the stupid creatures most people thought them to be; in fact she thought they acted more human than most humans did half the time.

'I bet you were in on Ryoga's little plan too, weren't you, you big lug?' she asked him, and giggled when he gave a huge nod of his massive head. She put the feed bag down and put her arms around his neck. 'What would I do without you or grandpa or Ryoga around to look out for me?'

Katsu grunted slightly, and she realized almost immediately that she aggravating his injury. 'Oh Katsu, I'm sorry, I didn't realize!' She fuzzed over the gauze patch, making sure it was still attached properly.

She shivered as memories came unbidden of Ranma coming after her. She'd had nightmares for days after of those irrationally angry eyes bearing down on her as tried to run away. How someone could do that to Ranma – to anyone for that matter – was in conceivable to her. But, even knowing that Ranma was as much the victim as herself made it hard for her to reconcile that with what she had to suffer as well. She didn't blame Ranma, but she would readily admit that it would be a while before she could look the red head in the face again.

That in itself made it hard.

After all, were it not for Ranma, she and Ryoga would never have gotten together. She would have continued on thinking that Ryoga didn't want to be with her because of her love for pigs and he would have continued on thinking that she could deal with his curse. Ranma though had been persistent to the end, helping them to find the middle ground they needed. For that alone she would be forever grateful to the martial artist. Hearing Ranma declare her love – untrue or not – for Ryoga did not help. She'd admit that for a brief moment she had felt threatened by the possibility, however unlikely that she had to compete with the red head for Ryoga. Almost immediately she had realized how ridiculous that was...

...Hearing Ryoga in turn however, playing into Ranma's delusional imaginings too hadn't helped though.

She shook her head and returned to the matter at hand when the pigs impatient squeals and snorts penetrated her wall of thoughts. As she did she glanced at her watch, remembering what her grandfather had said about Ryoga having been gone for several hours already. She bit her lip and looked towards the forest, thinking to herself that Ryoga was usually back by now.

'I hope he didn't get lost on the way their or back,' she whispered worriedly. Finally she turned around to the giant pit that now stared at her with concern. 'Katsu, would you be a dear and go find Ryoga, and lead him back please?'

The pig suddenly set its face into a serious expression, as if he had just been given the most important task in the world, and she even half expected him to salute her. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation he turned and bounded off towards the forest, kicking up dirt and snow in his wake and causing the tree tops to rattle and shake as he disappeared into the gloom. Akari shook her head after the pig with an amused smile; she made a mental note to prepare a special meal, just for him later.

Turning back to the other pigs and pouring feed into the troughs, she wondered if Ryoga had happened to catch anything today and stared thinking about what she could make for dinner if he had.

Her ears twitched suddenly at the sound of gravel crunching behind her and a shadow falling across her half a second later. Her heart skipped a beat and she whirled around in surprise, at the same time something hard and heavy clocked her across the head.

...And then there was only darkness...

….

…

…

…

….

Ryoga howled in frustration!

Was there no end to this god forsaken forest?

Somehow, by some unknown, vindictive and mysterious power of the universe he had managed to get himself lost again. The fact that he had gotten himself lost again wasn't all that surprising, he came to expect it; the fact that he had somehow managed to walk himself in a complete circle not once, not twice by ten times however was beyond forgivable. It simply shouldn't have happened. He had taken different routes each time and still he ended up back at the river... at least he was sure he had taken different routes...

Ryoga whirled around and slammed his fist into the nearest tree within arms reach. The enormous thing shook with the force of the punch, the trunk splitting with a resounding crack that echoed through the forest like a crack of a whip. Slowly the top half of the tree toppled backwards and crashed into the forest floor with a shuddering rumble that shook everything around, sending birds shooting into the air in fright.

His stomach growled and he sighed miserably.

He was tired, and hungry and cold. All he wanted to do was have a warm bath or shower and relax with Akari. But no, once more the gods were conspiring against him again after days of his sense of direction working almost like a normal persons for a change, it was worse than ever. It was obvious that he was being punished for something; just what he was being punished for he didn't know but it was clear that there was no other way to explain it.

Turning this way and that he tried to get his bearings, staring into the darkness of the forest around him, but it was impossible.

Everything looked the same!

He plopped himself down on to a fallen log, with a dejected sigh of frustration. It was hard in these situations, when his despair and irritation went hand in hand not to think back to his younger days when he found himself in similar situations. His sense of direction was something he always knew he would have to live with, and he would have to accept it sooner or later; after all it was his families curse. Because of it he didn't know his parents as well as he should have, his childhood was full of memories of being alone, or being lost somewhere himself. Having to look after himself though had made him stronger and strengthened his resolve day after day. Most importantly it made him capable of going so much further when everyone else would have, or should have given up.

It didn't make his otherwise lonely life any easier though...

Junior high had largely been his reprieve from days of aimlessly wandering; those days when Ranma had helped him by leading him home, despite all the constant attempts to beat the ever living hell out of the arrogant jerk.

Part of him missed those days.

Everything was so much simpler back then.

He couldn't help but wonder how differently things may have turned out if he had never met Ranma. If Ranma had never stolen his stupid bread all those years ago. It was all so trivial now though; he had trouble reconciling with that though. Maybe if he and Ranma had been friends from the beginning, things might not have turned out so difficult as they were now.

But then again, maybe things would be worse than ever.

If he had never had any reason to chase after Ranma, to settle their fight he would never have been cursed - a plus granted - and then he would never have went to Nerima, never met back up with Ranma again. He would never have learnt some of his most powerful techniques in the pursuit to defeat Saotome and he would never have met Akane or Akari. Most importantly though he would never have been there to save Ranma from those crazy monks...

What would have happened then?

He shook his head and cursed loudly; how the hell did that little red headed monkey keep worming herself back into his mind over and over again?

Ryoga whirled around suddenly as a twig snapped, his muscles tensing as a weary shiver crawled across his skin. He'd felt something, a surge of fighting spirit that disappeared amongst the tree's almost as quickly as it had appeared. His eye's scanned everything, ears straining for the slightest of noises, his body ready to pounce without warning. His brow knitted together in irritation rather than concern; there was little that could actually hurt him, short of a world class fighter on the same level as himself.

So who, or what was it?

The bushes behind him rustled suddenly and he whipped his hands up with lightning fast reflexes as he whirled around. A great shadowy mass leapt out of no where and slammed into his outstretched open palms. Ryoga gasped in surprise, the force of the impact driving him back several feet through the snow. He reached back and grabbed the fishing pole from his back and was bringing it around when he suddenly froze in mid strike and blinked surprise.

He was staring at a giant pig.

"Katsunishiki!" he exclaimed, in confusion more than anything. "What are you doing here?"

The giant pig stood back on its hind legs - a comical sight in itself - and started to make a series of wild gestures and grunts; Ryoga thought he looked like a bad mime, but then again was there any other kind? Perhaps it was because he spent so much time as a pig himself, and on more times than he cared to admit had spent time with groups of wild pigs, but he was pretty sure he was starting to understand what Katsunishiki was trying to say...half the time at least.

Immediately he recognized part of his gestures.

"Akari sent you? Is that right?" he asked, frowning in concentration and uncertainty.

The giant pig nodded excitedly, clearly pleased with itself. Soon it was pretending to walk around aimlessly and with a deeper frown Ryoga knew Katsu was talking about him this time. The pieces of what the giant pig was trying to say started to come together though in his head.

"She sent you to find me, because she thought I was lost?"

Again the pig nodded eagerly.

Ryoga could only stare ahead, unable to string together the right words to properly express the gratifying emotions that soared through him, knowing that he had a girlfriend that cared so much for him. There could be no other way about it that they were meant to be together, that he was meant to have met her, no matter how odd their first meeting had been. Everyday he spent with her was only further proof of that belief. There were few others that could even begin to put up with his horrible sense of direction and the strife it could cause. As much as he hated to admit it, Akane would never be one of those few; although she was sympathetic to his plight, she was far too impatient to ever deal with it, to say the least. Her physical treatment of Ranma and that fool Kuno - as amusing as it usually was - was proof of that.

He frowned suddenly; just thinking of that toy sword welding moron was enough to make his blood boil with anger. For all his talk, that guy didn't have an ounce of honour in his body. He shook his head though, it wouldn't do any good to get upset over something that had been dealt with already.

Try as he might to ignore it though, he absolutely hated the thought, that Kuno would be all over Ranma - or rather the Pig Tailed Girl - as soon as he was well enough. The last thing she needed to deal with at the moment was that idiot making life hell for her...

Katsunishiki tilted his head and grunted; Ryoga realized he had tuned out while he was standing there. He patted the pig on the head and offered a reassuring smile.

"S'ok Katsu. Let's go see Akari. She's probably starting to get worried about where we are." The pig grinned wildly and nodded eagerly as Ryoga climbed on to his back, grinning himself at the pig's excitement. It was easier if he just let the animal do all the navigating if he wanted to get before nightfall; plus this way he could relax a bit and gather his thoughts. "By the way Katsu, you're getting better, I didn't even sense you until you were right on top of me that time."

The pig puffed out its chest in pride at the praise. They had been sparing regularly since Ryoga had arrived, and while the pig still had a ways to go before it could compete with someone like him, Katsu was certainly getting stronger and faster than before. "

The ride back to the compound was quiet and uneventful, and Ryoga spent most of it wrapped up in his thoughts. He wanted to stop thinking about all the things that had happened back in Nerima, but it was like trying to get blood from a stone. Everything that had happened was so important and he shouldn't, but every time he thought about it all, he couldn't help but feel like he was betraying Akari somehow. He had nothing to feel guilty about, but nevertheless some part of him did. She had been so patient and understanding that it just wasn't fair that he should be thinking about anything else other than her.

She deserved more. Especially given that she knew something wasn't quite right; he had seen it in her eyes, the look of wondering and she had chosen not to pry, not yet at least. He knew it was only a matter of time before she did though and, he wasn't sure just what exactly he was going to tell her when she did. He just knew that he wasn't looking forward to it.

What could he say anyway when he himself didn't even understand what was going through his own head?

Katsunishiki came to an abrupt halt, nearly throwing Ryoga off; he was about to scold the pig he noticed the animals ears were pressed back and his muscles throughout his body tensed. Uneasiness radiated from the animal like a bad odour. He had never seen him act like this before. Usually Katsunishiki, while over protective of Akari and her grandfather he was pretty calm and reserved. But now he could sense the raw unsettled emotion that rippled through the animals body like a shiver, and saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

"What's wrong Katsu?" he whispered, patting the pig's head reassuringly.

The pig grunted wearily and Ryoga frowned at the dense mass of trees and thick bushes ahead of them. Something wasn't right, even he could sense it, and he trusted Katsu's instincts enough to know that he wasn't prone to fits of overreacting. Akari and her grandfather had trained the beast much better than that.

Without warning Katsu launched forward like a rocket; Ryoga yelped as he nearly tumbled ass over head off the back of the pig before he managed to regain his balance. They charged through the forest, branches clawing and whipping back at him as Katsunishiki ran heedlessly forward, while Ryoga struggled to hold on for dear life; he didn't complain though. He could feel the Katsu's urgency as clearly as if he could see it.

Minutes later they burst through the tree line and on to the compound grounds. Ryoga picked twigs and bark from his hair and clothes as he climbed off, groaning as he tried to work the feeling back into his legs. He looked around, wincing gingerly at the myriad of cuts and scratches that now covered his face and body where the razor tipped branches had sliced through flesh and cloth without prejudice. He barely noticed them though; Katsunishiki's infectious unease was starting to gnaw at him now too.

The first thing he noticed...

... was the absolute silence...

"Akari?" he called out, his voice echoing through the training grounds.

Katsu bounded off ahead, grunting and squealing frantically. Ryoga rushed after him, trying to ignore the cold dark dread settling in his chest. Why weren't any of the pig's making their usual ruckus?

The compound was never this quiet.

Something was wrong.

Katsunishiki suddenly let out a shrill squeal a second before Ryoga rounded the corner to the pen's and skidded to a halt. His eyes widened in silent horror, his heart freezing in his chest; there was Akari, laying across the ground with a nasty bruise already forming across the side of her face, dry blood caked around split skin where something hard and heavy had smashed into the side of her head.

"Akari," he breathed.

He dropped next to her and cradled her head in his lap. He sighed a breath of relief when he felt her pulse beating strongly. Katsu nudged insistently at his shoulder, his eyes watery with worry. "It's ok Katsu. She's alive. Let's get her inside out of this cold though."

He scooped her up in his arms, faltering as images of Ranma, unconscious, feverish and vulnerable came unbidden flashing to the forefront of his mind. It reignited pangs of emotions that he had felt back then too. Now Akari needed him, just like Ranma had then. It made him cold just thinking that something bad had happened to her.

As he was turning toward the house, he finally realized the pig pens were all empty, the gates busted open and erratic tracks in the dirt the pigs must have made. The booted foot prints scattered all around didn't escape his attention either.

What had happened? Where were all of the pigs?

There was too many questions and this wasn't the time to answer them all; but, he was going to get answers...

Ryoga's heart sank even further when they approached the house and he saw the doors kicked in, paper panels torn to shreds. Inside wasn't any better. Furniture was overturn and items strewn all over the place. There were cracks in the wall where someone or something had been slammed into it with incredible force.

He set Akari down on a tatami mat and went to investigate the rest of the house. "Old man, you here?"

He went from one end of the home to the other, and back again, calling out a couple of times as he did; but, there was no sign of Akari's grandfather. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened, not with all the mess that had been left behind. Ryoga rubbed his head; this was going form bad to worse.

Worse yet, he had to tell Akari that two of the things she cared the most for, had been kidnapped...

….

…

…

…

….

Far away a convoy of trucks sped along an old beaten trail that probably hadn't been used for over twenty years by anything more than a horse and cart. Trees loomed over the dirt road, casting shadows and broken light over the machines as they raced along, bouncing along like toys. Pigs squealed in outrage and fear in the back of the trailing three trucks, their cages tied down by simple ropes that strained to breaking point every time they hit a hard bump along the way.

In the fourth truck, at the head of the convoy the leader of the group was busy making a preliminary report when the cellular phone went off. With a sigh he put down the log book and pen and picked up the massive black box on the floor between his feet and removed the large phone inside. It was claimed that it was made portable for convenience, but in his opinion it was of waste of money then anything else; the charge didn't even last long enough in it.

The driver, his wife must have been able to read what he was thinking in his eyes, because when he turned towards hers she gave him that 'I told you so' kind of look that all wives were masters of.

He rolled his eyes and answered the call. "Hello."

"You have the package?"

Inwardly he swore in irritation; he hated impatient clients.

"Yes, we've not long acquired them. We're making the return trip now," he explained calmly. This wasn't the first impatient client he had dealt with before and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"Make certain that those animals remain unharmed, you understand? They are incredibly valuable products."

The leader sighed and rubbed the corner of his eyes. "With all do respect mister, that's what you're paying me for. They will be delivered with no more than a few bruises from the tranq darts we used, what you do with them after that matters nothing to me. Sell them, breed them, serve' em up with some eggs on a fry pan and eat them for all I care. What you don't need to do, is tell me how to do my job."

The other end of the line was silent for a long time and he could imagine the greedy self important son of a bitch turning red and biting his tongue, knowing that one wrong word could possibly lose him his precious cargo of swine.

"Very well….. what of the secondary package?"

"Yes, we were able to acquire the trainer as well. He gave my men a little bit of trouble but he was captured as well," he reported, though it left a bad taste in his mouth. He avoided human abduction as much as possible, but sometimes the price being offered was just far too good to justify passing up, not when he had people to pay who signed on with the promise of work. "You didn't warn me that the old man was a demon. I should raise the price for him."

"I'll triple your pay for him," the client replied without hesitation,

It caught the him by surprise. "You're very generous."

"Generous has nothing to do with it. The pigs are worth the price, but the old man is the real money maker. With him I'll be able to make back whatever I pay you within a year."

The leader couldn't help but smirk. "I didn't realize the Sumo Pig industry was so lucrative."

"I'm sure there's plenty you don't know," there was a nasty bite to the client's tone that darkened the leader's mood immensely. "What's your ETA?"

"ETA is four days. We still need to get the packages back to the base and prepare them for travel to your estate. I'll contact you when we're ready to move them then," he replied and without waiting for the client to reply he ended the call and dropped the phone on to the floor of the truck in disgust. "Asshole."

His wife sighed. "You never were much of a people person dear."

….

…

…

…

….

Akari stirred within the groggy confides of her mind, pushing through the dark sticky curtains that entangled her consciousness and broke towards the surface; towards the sound of a crackling fire that whispered through the darkness and guided her forward like a lighthouse on a foggy night. Slowly she forced open her eyes, letting them focus on the ceiling above her. The entire left side of her face ached, throbbing and stinging relentlessly, making her hiss at the pain. She was a trainer of sumo fighting pigs, and despite her diminutive stature she was quite familiar with aches and pain, and injuries sustained in the process of training her pigs. It had been a long time though since her body had felt such harshness inflicted upon it and she wasn't ready for it.

Every fibre of her being screamed at her not to move, to just lay where she was, but she see clearly in her mind the shadowy figure that had attacked her. Were it not for the aching agony spreading throughout her body, seizing joints and clawing at muscles, she would have leapt up without hesitation to get her answers.

Slowly she hefted herself up, wincing against the pulling needles of pain that pricked at her; in the back of her mind she wondered how Ryoga lived his life like this, always fighting, always dealing with aches and pains that even he must have felt from time to time. Or, didn't he feel this sort of discomfort anymore?

"Akari," she turned around to see Ryoga standing in the doorway with a serving tray carrying a bowl of water and first aid items. "I didn't expect to see you up so soon. How are you feeling?"

She smiled slightly as he came over and set the tray down. "I'd be lying if I said I felt fine."

"That's to be expected," he replied dampened a cloth and gently touched it to the side of her face that felt like it had been smashed with a sledgehammer. "You took a nasty hit to the head."

"What happened Ryoga?"

He sighed. "I was hoping you could tell me Akari. I came back with Katsunishiki and we found you sprawled out on the ground. I almost had a heart attack when I saw you like that…you don't remember anything?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I heard someone walking up behind me and when I turned something hit me in the head…..then I woke up here."

Ryoga frowned and went silent, disappearing into himself as he sat back. Straight away she could see that there was something wrong in the way his eyes refused to meet hers, something her had never done, not even with all that had been weighing down upon him since he arrived. She could see the gears clicking over in his mind, choosing his words, contemplating.

She had never seen him so hesitant before.

She looked around, noticing for the first time that everything seemed out of place and askew, as though someone had hastily rushed through the house and cleaned up without any real thought about where anything was suppose to go. It made her hairs stand on end and Goosebumps race across her skin in unease.

"Ryoga … what's wrong?" she asked hesitantly, not really sure she wanted to know, only knowing that she _had_ to know. Ryoga though didn't reply. "Ryoga, tell me!"

The dark haired martial artist sighed heavily, his chest heaving as though it was being crushed beneath a great weight and forced himself to look her in the eyes. She saw then how hard this was for him.

"Whoever attacked you Akari…they stole your pigs and….they kidnapped your grandfather as well….."

Everything around her suddenly went silent, all the sound in the room being sucked away in a blinding instance. She could only stare in silent frozen horror, her blood turning cold like someone had poured ice into her veins as her brain struggled to grasp it all. It couldn't possibly real! It couldn't! Her grandfather was safe and sound in another room; this was just one of his silly stupid jokes. He was fine and her beloved pigs were safe in their pens.

"Akari?"

She shook her head slowly, whispering. "You're mistaken. Grandpa wouldn't let himself be taken."

Ryoga took her hands in his, squeezing them reassuringly as he trapped her eyes with his. "I'm sorry Akari, but I'm not mistaken. But, I promise you everything is going to be fine. I'm going to find your grandfather and your pigs and I'm going to bring them back home. Katsunishiki is trying to pick up their trail as we speak."

She felt numb as she stared at him. This stuff didn't happen to her, like it did to Ryoga and to Ranma all the time; she wasn't used to dealing with this sort of thing on a regular basis. It was insane. It was like a cold hand was wrapping around her heart, squeezing so hard she could barely breathe. The only reassurance she had, the only thing that kept her from collapsing in on herself was the strength Ryoga was sharing with her; his steadfast, loyal, inner strength born from his boundless caring and generous nature that she loved so much about him. Were it not for that she was sure she would have broken apart and bawled her eyes out.

Akari closed her eyes, and took a long deep breath, forcing down all the fear and anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to be strong, for her grandfather; for her parents. She was an Unryu and she couldn't falter now.

Her grandfather and the pigs were relying on her now.

"Ok," she said finally, but she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. "How could someone do this Ryoga? What kind of monsters must they be?"

"I promise Akari, I'm going to get them back," he said with his tone filled with such determination that she couldn't help but believe him.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, more out of fear of the unknown than anything else. "Its not that I don't trust you to do this Ryoga, maybe we should ask Ranma for help."

"No!" Ryoga snapped in alarm. Akari stared at him in shock, though perhaps not surprised as he was at the moment. After a few more seconds he pulled himself back together and pressed quickly. "I mean it would take too long for her to get here even if we did. The more time we waste is more time that these people have to put even greater distance between us. With Katsunishiki's help I can find them in no time and bring them back."

She stared at him for the longest time, noting the faint hint of unease in his dark green orbs. It was the same uncertain unease that had been with him since he arrived, that he had been trying to hide from her and deal with himself; but now, it seemed stronger than ever.

But, this wasn't the time. "Ok…then what's our first move?"

Ryoga stared at her like he had miss heard her. "_Our _first move? What do you mean _our _first move?"

She stared at him incredulously. "Well I'm not going to sit here and wait for you to come back. It's my fault they were all taken, if I hadn't let my guard down my grandfather wouldn't have been taken. This wouldn't be happening!"

"No, you're not going," he shook his head as he got up. "It's way too dangerous for you?"

Akari puffed herself up like a scolded cat. "You are not the boss of me Ryoga Hibiki! That's my grandfather that's been kidnapped and those pigs are my families pride and joy. I'm going with you to get them all back and that's final!"

Ryoga opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to form the right words. Finally he growled in frustration and stalked out of the room in a huff like a bear with a sore foot. Akari stared after him with her jaw set in a firm steely glare, as if daring him to turn around and argue with her further; she was proud of herself. She wasn't the timid little wall flower that most people believed she was, and she certainly wasn't going to back down on this, and Ryoga could hate her as much as he wanted for it, but he was going to just have to learn to live with it.

Even still, for all the bravado she had just shown, it paled in comparison to the anxiety she was feeling and trying desperately to ignore.

Closing her eyes and sighing deeply; whatever happened from this point on, she just hoped her grandfather was ok…..

…wherever he was.

….

…

…

…

….

The back of the truck rattled violently as the machine rumbled along the old trail, kicking up dirt in its wake and into the three near identical vehicles following close behind. The men in the back rode in silence, fingering the triggers of their tranquilizer guns as they glared at the old man chained up against the partition that separated the trailer from the cabin. It seemed absurd at first glance; they hadn't simply retrained him with cuffs. They had wrapped him multiple times in a chains restricting his arms to his body; like a monkey enwrapped by the body of a python.

It was hard to believe that the frail looking old man warranted such ludicrous pre-cautions, or that he was the sole cause of the numerous black eyes and the number of injuries of the men around him.

They had taken him by surprise, but they had underestimated him in turn and suffered heavily because of it. He had fought back with strength they hadn't expected from a man of his age, and with speed that shouldn't have been possible. But just when it seemed as though they were going to have to retreat, a woman had attacked him from behind and trapped him a joint lock. She had moved like a snake and struck him down just as quickly. He had been careless himself. He had assumed that they were untrained thugs and hadn't expected there to be any real fighters amongst them.

Now he sat there, as still as a statue, meditating on his situation with closed eyes. His thoughts were of Akari though, and he prayed she was ok. He had seen her prone form sprawled on the ground when they had ushered him out of the house. His old heart had nearly stopped at the sight of her, the worse fears threatening to drown him in a sea of despair, but the woman that had beaten him assured him that she was still alive; and, if he wanted her to remain that way he would cooperate with them without hesitation. He didn't dare test her resolve, he could see from the look in her eyes that she would kill his precious granddaughter if she wanted to.

He could only sit now and hope that Mr Hibiki had gotten back by now and helped her. As long as she was safe, nothing else mattered.

He sighed inwardly.

He couldn't help but wonder, how this was going to turn out...

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N:**

_** Ok I'm going to refrain from making any comments about things from the chapter until I've posted the second half. What I will say is that I hope that Akari comes across as in character as possible, and if she doesn't I want people to keep in mind that it is hard to play her in character properly because she is in a grand total of three issues of the manga and makes one photo appears in the very last chapter.**_

_** I wont make any excuse for how the grandfather comes across if at all for the simple fact that he appears ONCE and says one piece of dialogue. **_

_**Well I hope this has been good so far and I HOPE that its been worth the wait to some degree. I personally don't like chopping chapters up like this but I know it can be a pain in the ass for some people to read super long chapter, so I would rather cut it in half and give you something to wet your gums on for a little bit.**_

_** So anyway I hope this chapter was ok at least, if it was good even better.**_


	19. Chapter 18: Unspoken Pt2

**A/N: **

** OK! Done at long friggin last!**

** This chapter should have been done soon after I finished chapter 17 but unfortunately I've been suffering from flu and I think maybe a mild bout of food poisoning. Lesson Learnt? Don't buy cheap Chinese food! On top of that I've been trying to get back into my studies and looking for work, so its just been one big mess. It didn't help either that I kept struggling with my own procrastinating over each section of this chapter and I'm still not 100% certain that I've done this chapter properly and I'm hoping the conclusion to it will be acceptable to you all after having to wait so long.**

** Some have said that this chapter came across as a filler and I will readily admit that it is partly a filler, I make no excuses for it. That being said however, it is also an intentionally planned chapter that I planned on having happen from the moment I decided to write this story. **

** Before we start I will warn you, some sections of this chapter were written out on a keyboard equipped phone so there MIGHT be some grammatical and spelling errors. I have tried my best to catch them all and so have those that have read this chapter during its development and fix them when I find them. Some might have slipped through though and if they had, I apologize in advance. **

** Anyway, I digress.**

** Please enjoy and I hope this chapter lives up to expectation.**

**...:::::::::::::::...**

Chapter 18

_Unspoken Pt 2_

Night seemed to come upon the world too quickly in winter; the dark clouds that obstructed the sky didn't help either. The air grew colder and more snow drifted slowly out of the sky above while frost formed on the ground and plant life, creating slick patches that made the going hard. Ryoga understood though that they had to push on as much as possible; the kidnappers had too greater lead time.

The only thing that worked in his favour was that no matter what, it wasn't easy for anyone to transport over two dozen pigs and an old man through dense forest land without having to stop and rest. Not if they cared in some part about the things they had gone to a lot of trouble to steal in the first place. And if they didn't, then there was going to be hell to pay when he caught up to them.

Akari suddenly yelped and a second later there was a dull thud.

Ryoga glanced over his shoulder to see her flat on her butt, again. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he tried not to garner any satisfaction out of the misery she was having with the slippery ground. He understood why she had insisted on coming along, if the situation had been reversed and he had been in her shoes he would have been stubborn about going too. He just hoped she appreciated now why he hadn't wanted her to come along.

"Owww…." she whined, rubbing her back side.

Ryoga rolled his eyes and walked over to her, hand extended out to her. "Come on, I'll help you up."

Reluctantly she accepted the proverbial olive branch and grabbed hold of his outstretched hand. However at the same time, Ryoga's foot bracing his and her weight, slipped out from under him on the slippery ground and sent him tumbling backwards, pulling Akari with him. Wet slush soaked through the back of his shirt in an instant, an icy chill spreading through his entire body. When he opened his eyes, Akari was laying on his chest, looking back at him, with only the silence of the forest for company…

…And then they both burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter…

From several feet away Katsunishiki shook his massive head in disbelief.

…

…

…

A short while later Ryoga came to a stop, using his razor belt to slice through thick vegetation and cut a path for Akari. He glanced up at the now pitch black sky, the thick clouds blocking even the light of the moon; then he looked over at her. She had switched to riding Katsunishiki had his suggestion, even still she was tired and coupled with the cold around her and the wound on the side of her face that he knew must have still been bothering her, it made his next decision that much easier for him.

"We're going to stop for the night," he announced suddenly, dropping his pack on the ground as he turned to help her down.

Akari reacted with alarm. "But we have to keep going! They'll get too far ahead of us if we stop now!"

Ryoga gave her a patient look. "Akari, there's a thick fog moving in, even if they're using trucks to transport all the pigs, they're going to have to stop for the night as well, its too dangerous otherwise to keep going. Soon we won't be able to see more then a few feet in front of us. On top o that you're cold and tire and need some rest or you're going to collapse before we catch up with them. You wanted to come along and that means you need to listen to me so we can do this, so please stop arguing with me, even Katsu agrees."

Akari pouted, but nodded reluctantly when Katsunishiki nudged her shoulder with reassuringly with his massive snout. "Fine…"

His features softened. "I'm sorry Akari; I don't mean to be so abrupt. I know you're worried about your grandfather and the pigs, and so am I, but I'm also worried about you too. I'd never forgive yourself if you get hurt because of me."

Akari smiled at the tenderness in his voice and the sincerity. This was the Ryoga she knew and loved so much, the one that worried more about others than himself. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, savouring his warmth as he put his arms around her as they stood in the chilly night. Were it not for the situation this would have been an almost perfect moment, just the two of them – not including Katsunishiki of course – with perhaps nice roaring fire.

After what felt like an eternity, Ryoga untangled himself from her and went to his pack.

"We need to get a camp set up and get some sleep. We're going to need our strength in the morning, we'll be leaving at first light," he explained. "I'll get a fire going so you can get yourself warmed up. I have some instant noodles that we can eat too. It's going to be a very cold night, so we need all the strength we can get."

As he moved about clearing a swath of area, before moving to unpack the tent; he moved with a routine rhythm of someone that had done this countless times before. Within minutes the tent was up and he started gathering wood for a fire, using a controlled _Bakusai Tenketsu_, to create a small fire pit; soon he was preparing the noodles over the crackling flames. It was hard not to be impressed by the speed with which he got it all done. She wondered if he had been this quick doing her chores that morning.

"It's not exactly gourmet," Ryoga admitted as he removed one of the instant noodle containers and handed it to her with a pair of chopstick. Then he smiled in amusement. "But it's still better than anything Akane can make."

She shouldn't have, but Akari couldn't help but laugh, familiar with stories of the Akane Tendo's attempts at 'cooking.' Part of her felt bad though, Akane was a good friend and she and Ranma had helped her and Ryoga get together in the first place. Without their help she would probably be trying to rescue her grandfather all by herself at the moment. On the other hand, another part of her – perhaps a part that existed in all people – was relieved that that was one less thing she needed to compete with another woman over for Ryoga's affection, but then again if she needed to compete with anyone for him, he wouldn't have come to her in the first place.

She chided him lightly. "That's not nice."

"I know," he replied. "I shouldn't make fun. She only wants to make meals that everyone will enjoy. I admire that about her."

Akari nodded slightly, she understood that well.

What few memories she had of her mother, were of her cooking delicious meals. She remembered her mother saying once that a meal wasn't just food to be eaten, it was something that made people feel better, that gave them strength because you pour your heart and soul into every dish. She had taken those words to heart and practiced her cooking just as much as she did her training as a sumo pig trainer.

She set the container of instant noodles on her lap, and sheepishly stirred the chopsticks through the food. "Ryoga…I'm sorry for being so difficult."

"Akari, you're worried about your grandfather and the pigs, I know how much they all mean to you, especially your grandfather. He's the only family you have left, so never apologize for being worried about him. I would have done the same thing in your situation," he replied calmly. "I just hope you understand that I was only against it because I'm worried for your safety. If anything happened to you, if you got hurt because I couldn't protect you, I would never forgive myself."

Akari smiled and got up; she silently walked over and down right next to him so that her head was resting against his shoulder. "I know, that's why I love you so much my sweet Ryoga. You always put everyone before yourself."

Ryoga stared distantly into the fire, chopsticks and noodles pausing a hairs width from his mouth.

"I don't feel that way lately…"

….

…

…

…

….

A bonfire raged in the center of the camp, glowing orange red embers crackling in the fridged night air. The men sat around the makeshift camp in on the hoods of the truck and around the fire, drinking and revelling in their success like a bunch of stupid college kids. Their leader shook his head and looked on in disapproval; he didn't like that they were taking this so lightly. Yes they had gotten away clean and yes they were getting paid ridiculously good money to poach a bunch of stupid pigs and a surprisingly versatile old man, but that didn't excuse letting your guard down, not when the job wasn't complete yet.

In all honesty, he wouldn't be satisfied until after they had handed the package off to the client. Only then would he let himself even consider this a job well done. He didn't like celebrating before a job was done…

…it was bad luck.

Without warning a paid of slender arms slipped around his waist and hugged him tight. He glanced over his shoulder at his slightly younger wife, her long hair pulled back in a tight pony tail and her pale blue eyes almost seeming to glow in the low lighting.

"You know, if I'm not careful, my men might think I'm prone to favouritism," he told her calmly.

She laughed. "I think they might make a special exception for me, my love."

He turned around and kissed her, whispering. "Too bad if they don't."

"I'm glad to see that you still have your sense of humour. You looked so grumpy standing over here by yourself. Like a tiger with a bad tooth," she said calmly.

"I am simply being cautious that's all," he replied defensively. "We still have a long way to go before we can hand off the package. A lot can happen between now and then and my gut is telling me that something is…..off. Were it not for the fact that I could lose their loyalty if I denied them this, I would order them all to pack this up and bunker down for the night."

"I know my dear," she whispered. "Let them unwind for a while longer. That old man gave them a lot of trouble. Their ego's have been bruised and then need to be soothed. That's the most important thing at the moment."

She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Were he in their shoes and had just had his ass handed to him by an old fossil he'd want to unwind as well. Even still he couldn't shake the twinge that in his gut that told him to be weary. With the exception of the old man, this job had been way too easy for his liking. He had been in this business for a long time and had carried out countless jobs in all those years, and in all that time he had learnt one important lesson. If something was too easy, then there was usually

His wife suddenly gave him a suggestive grin. "How about we go and I help you_ relax_ for awhile."

He returned the grin. "Now how, can I say no to that?"

"You can't."

….

…

…

…

….

Staring at the night sky was like trying to peer through a bowl of squid ink. Akari stared out through the mesh 'window' of the tent at the thick clouds above, imagining the twinkling stars beyond and the bright shining moon. It was impossible to sleep with everything weighing down on her mind, with thoughts of her grandfather and of the pigs and what might be happening to them plaguing her at every turn. Katsunishiki laid just outside the tent, his soft snores a comforting reminder of his presence, giving her some peace of mind, but not nearly enough to let her sleep peacefully.

She glanced over her shoulder at the Ryoga on the other side of the tent, his back turned respectively towards her as he tried to give her as much room as possible. She couldn't help but smile; there weren't many like him around anymore. If she were with any other guy in this situation, they would have probably used any excuse to get as close as possible to her.

Not Ryoga though, he was too much of a gentleman.

She still remembered that first day they had met as clearly as though it had happened yesterday. The whole mess they gone through initially still made her feel embarrassed, to say the least. But, that break down in communication was what made _their_ story so special and unique to them alone. Although she still felt silly for how she had overreacted to Ryoga hugging Ranma and impulsively shouting 'I love you' to the red head; once she learnt the truth that was. She thought it was admirable that Ranma would go to such lengths to help out a friend; that was another reason she found it hard to blame Ranma for attacking her, knowing what sort person the martial artist was.

But she couldn't deny that what had happened to Ranma in recent months had had an adverse affect on Ryoga.

She just couldn't figure out why exactly.

Ryoga was a complex person, wrapped in mysteries and coated in an iron shell of armour and defences he thought he needed. She knew he just wanted to be with someone that loved and understood him. It was hard getting through those defences though; he had been alone for so long that she wasn't sure even he knew how to be around others anymore.

But he wanted to be and that was the most important thing.

"Ryoga, are you awake?" she whispered softly.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Do you think my grandfather is ok?" she asked. "You don't think they'll hurt him do you?"

He was silent for the long time. "No. I don't think they will. They wouldn't have gone to the trouble of taking him if they simply wanted to hurt him."

She noted the fact that he avoided pointing out that they could just as easily have wanted to move him somewhere else where they could take their time; but even as she consider it she realized how stupid it was. It was ridiculous to even think that anyone would _want _to hurt him.

She was worrying herself over nothing; she hoped.

Akari took a deep breath. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"You can ask me anything Akari, you know that," he replied sincerely.

"Can you tell me why you left Nerima?"

If it was at all possible the atmosphere inside the tent seemed to freeze; she could here Ryoga shifting uncomfortably within his sleeping bag. She had avoided asking him this question for so many days now, content with the fact that he was simply there with her, but she couldn't wait any longer. She knew that something had happened that had been troubling him and either because he didn't want to burden her with it or he simply wanted to deal with it by himself he had chosen to keep it to himself.

"I wanted to see you," he said quietly. "I missed you."

She smiled, blushing a little even. "Not that I don't appreciate having you around, but I know that isnt the whole reason why Ryoga. You've been so guarded about it since you arriv–"

"Akari," he cut her off gently. "I know you're just concerned for me, but please, that is the reason I came back, it really is."

She stared at the material wall of the tent for the longest time; she heard the note of uncertainty in his voice, and wondered if even he realized it was there, or was he just lying to himself? She could press, push and prod as much as she wanted to, but to what end and how long would it be till she pushed too far? The last thing she wanted to do was create a gulf between them, and she could see exactly that happening if she did…..

"Ok," she said softly. "But, you know you can talk to me about anything right?"

"I know that," he replied.

Akari glanced back at him, to see his shoulders slump with a heavy sigh.

"I hope so," she whispered.

….

…

…

…

….

When morning came the poachers camp site was covered in snow that had fallen without end through the night; the only part spared was the area where the bonfire had burnt, the blackened, cracked and used up logs a stark contrast to the pristine white all around them. If any of the men noticed they didn't show it as the camp fell into a flurry of activity, packing up any supplies they had gotten out the night before, many suffering the nastier affects of over indulging in alcohol; the bright light causing spikes of agony through their brains as they squinted wearily. Taijuro directed his men without sympathy, vowing inwardly that he would take steps next time to ensure that no alcohol found its way into their hands before the job was over.

"I want chains on those tires," he ordered. "Make sure the animals and the supplies are secured. I want us on the road and moving in twenty minutes."

The men trudged along bitterly with the half hearted enthusiasm of children reluctantly doing the chores their parents make them do. Sometimes Taijuro felt like a flustered parent trying to encourage some measure professionalism from them; after all, people who didn't take their work serious in this business didn't last long in it, one way or the other, and he didn't plan on being taken down by a bunch of morons too stupid to have the sense to dial down their immaturity.

He growled through tightly pursed lips as two of the men let a crate slip from their fingers and crash to the ground, spilling the contents across the snow covered dirt and then looked at it as if they didn't understand what had happened.

"Idiots!" he snapped. "Clean this up."

He glowered at them as they grudgingly went to work; perhaps he thought, he should just cut his losses and start figuring out who he should fire.

"You're in a fine mood tis'mornin dear," he glanced back at his wife as she came up behind him, stretching her bare arms over her head, not seeming to mind the nippy chill in the air.

"I want this job over and done with Touka," he grunted.

She yawned. "And so it will be soon."

….

….

….

….

….

Ryoga was surprised to see so many of them, running around like ants before a rain storm. It made no difference to him how many there were, whether it was fifty or fifty thousand, he would defeat them all if he had to. Even still, this many men to capture a couple of dozen pigs and one old man seemed – to him at least – was over kill, to say the least.

"So what's the plan?" Akari asked as she peered through the ferns beside him, gazing down on the camp, Katsunishiki beside her.

Ryoga sat back on his heels, frowning in thought. "I'm going to go down their and kick their asses."

"What can we do?" she asked, her tone caught between worry and excitement.

Ryoga looked her squarely in the eyes and replied gently clapped his hands on her shoulders, and carefully stressed each word. "Stay, here."

He kissed her forehead even as a disappointed pout formed across her face. Without a second glance he leapt from the hiding spot; his clothes ruffled as he spread his arms wide, his legs shifting for better control. For a single instant things seemed to freeze like they always did in those vague minutes before a fight, when a fighter steeled his thoughts and focused his mind on what was to come next. He had been through so many fights that it was second nature by now; he rarely if ever noticed it much anymore.

And then he fell, flipping once before he landed in a crouch at the edge of the camp.

The camp of poachers turned in abrupt surprise at Ryoga's entrance, perhaps more so at the sight of a teenager appearing out of nowhere in such a dramatic fashion. He stared furiously at them, blood boiling at the thought of one of these animals hurting his Akari, the bruised side of her face vividly burned into the layers of his mind forever. That they stole the things most precious to her was even worst; putting her through this hell was unforgivable!

From one of the trucks he could see Akari's grandfather in the back, surprise clearly plastered on his face at seeing him. Ryoga couldn't help but note the many coils of chains wrapped around him.

"Who's in charge here?" he demanded.

An older man that reeked of authority shoved past a group of men, face set in a stern glaring frown as he looked him up and down.

"I'm Taijuro Isouka," the leader replied calmly. "What do you want?"

Ryoga sneered. "I want back Akari's pigs and her grandfather. You're going to get an ass kicking one way or the other for what you've done, but if you hand them over without a fuss I might just take it easy on you!"

Instantaneously the whole camp erupted in explosive fits of laughter. Ryoga glared dangerously at them all. He glanced sideways, back at them and then, seeing that they had no intention of taking him seriously he stalked over to the five foot wide monstrously tall tree a few feet away. Taking a deep breath, Ryoga slammed his bawled up fist into the trunk. A sharp crack silenced the poachers in an instance, as they watched the tree topple backwards, splintered fragments flying in every direction as wood tore away from wood and the top half of the tree toppled to the ground with an earth shaking crash.

The poacher's stared, slack jaw at the tree, then at Ryoga, shaking noticeably at the demonic eyes staring back at them, like a monster eying its prey. Their leader stared in silence, clenching his jaw as he realized just how dangerous he was.

Ryoga grinned, baring a fang. "Want to reconsider?"

Taijuro frowned. Ryoga hoped that was because the older man had realized the situation he was in and knew there was no way out of this.

"Shoot him!"

Ryoga's eyes widened in disbelief as the poachers snapped out their guns, polished black mental gleaming in the morning light.

"Shit," he slammed his fist into the ground. "_Bakusai Tenketsu!"_

The ground exploded in a shower of rolling earth and flying razor sharp pieces of rock that blasted the closest poachers off their feet. Without missing a beat he leapt into the fray without more then a second thought, soft thunks smacking into the ground at his feet; he glanced over his shoulder to see dart tipped needles sticking out of the ground. Relief surged through him that they weren't using real bullets. On the other hand he knew it was all over if they hit him with even one of those things.

The poachers just as easily as the tree had as he swept through them with furious barrages of brutal punches, trying to stay ahead of the tranquilizer darts. They crumpled like rag dolls stuffed with paper, no match for attacks that could shatter solid boulders with one hit.

Taijuro stumbled back in surprise as he watched the demon teenager plough through his men like they were little more than straw men. He had never seen anyone move with such frightening power and animalistic presence, much less a teenager; it was like standing trapped in the path of a loin, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Ryoga paid him no mind, his focus set firmly on punishing those that would dare hurt Akari.

He didn't see the woman until she was on top of him, the briefest surge of battle aura making him turn just in time to twist out of the way of the kick that cleaved down from above. The woman didn't miss a beat, fluidly moving into another attack with near lightning reflexes. Compared to Ranma's speed and power though, it was like watching her fist move in slow motion.

He slapped her hand away like he was swatting a fly, catching her by surprise. Reflexes took hold and his closed fist whipped out at her; and then, stopped a hairs width from her face, her eyes wide and quivering in horror; he couldn't hit a woman! Least of all with his monstrous strength.

Slowly the woman's face melted from horror into amused realization and laughed.

"What's wrong little man?" the woman smirked. "Cant hit a woman?"

"I might not be able to attack you," he growled. "But good luck trying to defeat me."

Touka snarled and kicked a clump of dirt up at his face. It erupted into a clod of grains and particles that stung his eyes and found its way into his nose and throat clogging his airways. He coughed and splutted, backing away even as she nailed him in the abdomen with a brutal kick that would have dropped a lesser man. Ryoga grunted and blinked the dirt out of his eyes.

She leapt through the air at him' legs sweeping wide arcs like katana's slicing at him. He crossed his arms in front of him and took the full brunt of the attack with little more than an oomph.

She was good he had to admit, but even at her best she would have been an easy opponent for Akane.

A glint of steel was all the warning he had to move when a chain flew past his face. He grabbed the length and yanked it and the man holding it into the path of her next assault using the distraction to put some distance between them and think.

"How long can you keep this up?" she taunted him, paying the man she had just dropped little heed.

He smirked this time. "The question is how long can you keep attacking for?"

"Damn brat!" she hissed viciously.

Ryoga was about attack when something wet splashed against his hand. He stopped and looked down to see the water spread across it, a cold sliver of fear settling in his gut as he slowly looked up. A low rumble of thunder rolled through the air that made his whole body tremble with sickening realization.

"No," he whispered.

He had barely spoken before a second sharper crack of thunder exploded across the morning sky, from the dark clouds that drifted slowly over head. Ryoga reached around as fast he could for his umbrella, but it was too late. The clouds opened up and the rain bucketed down on the camp just as his finger tips touched the handled of the umbrella.

The change was instantaneous.

The world grew around him at an alarming and the pit of his stomach lurched down like it had turned to stone and pulled him towards the ground, everything going dark as his long sleeved shirt closed around him. He didn't even have time to notice the changes it was over so fast, except for the disorientating wave of confusion that that froze him in place. A few seconds later he struggled and pushed until he emerged from the end of one of the sleeves and blinked and lifted his tiny swine head, peering through the veil of rain at the frozen stunned poachers that looked down at him with confusion and disbelief.

And why shouldn't they?

They just saw a teenage guy transform into a half foot tall, half foot long little black pig!

"What the hell?" Touka whispered as the rain soaked and matted her hair to her forehead and face.

Ryoga bristled with irritation and anger, glaring at them all as they gawked at him. Without warning he leapt at Touka with an angry squeal, before a small cage scooped him out of the air at the last second. The cage door slammed shut with a loud clank and Ryoga spun as best he could in the cramped confines, to find himself staring at the leader, Taijuro.

With an angry grunt Ryoga head butted the cage door, nearly jumping it straight out of the leaders hands, but door barely even budged and only served to sent daggers of pain shooting through his little pig head.

Taijuro didn't even flinch.

"You are a very unique find my young friend," he looked him over, grinning greedily. "I don't know what you are exactly, but I know one thing. You my friend are going to make us even richer when we show you to our client."

Ryoga growled, grinding his teeth before slamming against the cage door again; to little affect. He wasn't going to be spoken to like a piece of property to be traded and sold on a whim.

Taijuro laughed. "Keep trying all you want my little friend, but these cages are made from the strongest materials we could find. I had them specially made when I got the info about your pig friends here. I knew we were dealing with unusually strong creatures and came prepared. So go ahead, keep trying to bust it open, I can assure you though that you'll only succeed in busting your skull open first. Nothing short of a thousand foot drop will bust that cage open."

Ryoga glared into the greedy grinning eyes of his captor, feeling the heat rise throughout his tine body like a malignant fever. His swing teeth grounded together, inwardly cursing himself for being caught of guard in the sudden change in weather, although it wouldn't be the first time and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. That did little to comfort him in this situation though, nor did it make being wet and cold any better...

"what do you think he is?" Taijuro asked the woman with snake like reflexes.

Touka stared at Ryoga in awe, the look in her eyes reminiscent of the wonder in a child's eyes when they witness something profoundly incredible.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories of when she was a little girl, before she moved from china to Japan. She used to tell me of a magical hot spring that would curse those who fell in; curse them to turn into whatever drowned there long ago," the woman spoke as if she was behold some fabled treasure. "I thought she was just telling us those stories to scare us into behaving!"

Almost immediately, Ryoga could see the gears turning in Taijuro and Touka's head, setting his skin crawling with goose bumps.

"Load him in with the old man," Taijuro ordered, handing the cage to one of the men before saying to his wife. "We have a long ways to go before we hand over the cargo. We can take our time deciding what to do with him."

Ryoga raged impotently inside the cage, trying with all his might to break open the latch, but to no avail.

"Let them go!"

Everyone stopped and turned, in time to see the girl riding the giant pig come rushing out of the over growth like a demon straight out of hell. Ryoga could only blink, stunned as Katsu charged into a group of men and with a heavy of his mighty head sent them flying.

Then Katsu and Akari came charging at him.

Realization set in a second too late, and he only had time to squeal in alarm before the giant pig bulldozed passed Touka and slammed the man hold his cage, sending it and him flying away like a missile of metal, to slam into the base a tree with brain rattling force.

Little piglets danced around Ryoga's head as the world spun and he tried to pull himself back together.

Meanwhile Katsunishiki raised all kinds of hell, ploughing through and into men and supplies scattered all over the place. The men shouted at each other, panicked and confused. Others were quicker off the bat, bringing tranquilizer gun to bare and firing the darts.

Katsunishiki was quicker though and turned at the last minute, letting the darts thunk into the chests of the men behind him. The others gaped in disbelief and he took advantage of the, body slamming the gunmen without mercy.

Akari leapt off Katsu's back and ran over to where Ryoga's cage had landed, eyes blazing with worry and concern. Ryoga was shaking his tiny head, groaning inwardly as his entire small body ached with protest when he saw her coming towards him.

She dropped to her knees and scooped the cage up in one fluid movement. "Oh Ryoga are you alright?"

He nodded simply, unable to do anything else. Ryoga knew he should be furious that she hadn't listened to him, but he was man enough to admit that her well timed assault had most likely given him the opportunity he now had.

Katsunishiki spied the leader of the hired poachers and charged straight at him with blind rage. Taijuro blinked at the sight of the massive animal screaming towards him, but he didn't make any attempt to flee. Instead he braced himself and at the last second, he clamped his hands on Katsu's thick neck and absorbed the full brunt of the attack, letting it carry him backwards as his feet dragged through the ground, rapidly slowing the both of them.

Akari stared in shock at Katsunishiki being stopped in his tracks; Ryoga along with her.

Taijuro growled at the equally stunned pig. "If you think I'm going to be beaten by a stupid animal, you have another thing coming!"

With a deep throated roar, the thick built man lifted Katsu above his head and threw himself backwards, slamming Katsu into the hard pack earth with ground shaking force. Katsunishiki let out a horrible squeal as he impacted the ground sending shivers of weariness through Ryoga's body, filling it with an even greater urgency.

Akari gasped in horror. "Katsunishiki!"

The massive pig struggle to move, pain etched through its eyes, mixed with wells of determination and reserves that Ryoga knew were for Akari only. Taijuro was faster again though; he pulled out the tranquilizer gun that was strapped to his thigh and fire three darts into Katsu's flank without hesitation. Katsunishiki squealed as the needles sunk deep and delivered the sedative into his system, his eyes drooping within seconds.

Ryoga felt his heart stop when a shadow fell across the two of them. He snapped his head up to see the woman, Touka standing above and behind Akari. He let out a panicked squeal at Akari, who turned only for the older woman's hand to wrap smoothly around her slim neck. Touka lifted her clear off the ground with little effort, dark ominous rage burning in her eyes as she glared hatefully into Akari's as the girl dropped Ryoga and his cage back to the ground again.

"Let go of me!" Akari demanded, trying to pry the woman's firm grip from her slender neck.

"You and your filthy beast will pay dearly for this you little brat!" Touka hissed venomously, mud and dirt caking one side of her face that was covered in a nasty raw graze where she had dived out of the way of Katsunishiki's wild charge. "I was nice enough to knock you out before; thought I would spare you your grandfather's fate but since you and your beasts here-" she glared down at Ryoga. "-decided to come and play at being heroes, I'm not going to be so generous this time."

Ryoga's cage bounced and rattled as he rammed furiously at all sides of it, squealing and grunting in desperation, causing a vein to appear in Touka's forehead.

"Shut up!" she snarled, kicking the cage across the camp. "Stupid freak!"

"Ryoga!" Akari cried, only for Touka to tighten her grip, making her gag and gasp uselessly for air.

Touka growled ominously, piercing the eyes of the terrified young woman. "You've seen our faces, maybe I should just kill you now and be done with it? It wouldn't be the first time I've had to."

"Leave her alone!" Her grandfather roared from the back of the truck, struggling futilely with the chains wrapped absurdly around him. Even so his voice carried with enough force and power that everyone stopped as it boomed across the camp like a crack of thunder. "Leave my granddaughter alone!"

Touka narrowed her eyes dangerously as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Or else what?"

"If you harm her in any way you'll lose what you were paid to come here for!" He grinned at the curious uncertainty that quickly fell across the woman's face not more than a second after the words left his mouth. "The Unryu family's _only_ pig trainer."

Touka's eyes widened slightly and Ryoga watched in silent anticipation as he looked back and forth between them.

"Don't try to lie to me old man," she hissed warningly. "We know you're the head of the Unryu clan. Our client collected all the data on your family."

Akari's grandfather grin widened. "But your client couldn't have known that I more than a decade. Its true that once, long ago I trained pigs, but I passed that responsibility on to my son when he came of age. I haven't trained a pig in the ways of the sumo. But, then my son died, and I had to begin training his and my replacement. The generation of pigs you've captured and the generations preceding them were all trained by my granddaughter! She _IS_ the Unryu Clan's Master Trainer!"

Ryoga blinked in surprise, his head rapidly swinging from Akari to her grandfather and back again, trying to figure out if her grandfather was spinning a tale just to protect her. Akari was good at what she did though, a natural in her element and her very nature, generous, compassionate and always caring was able to coax out every scrap of potential in each of her pigs. She may never be a great fighter herself - and frankly he wouldn't want her to sully her spirit with the violence of hurting another person; she was too pure for that - but she was able to turn those animals into determined warriors.

But even still, he had never stopped to consider that she might be _that_ good. Not that he had anything else to go by as reference.

If her grandfather was lying though, he showed no signs of it.

"That's absurd," Taijuro scoffed finally. "She's just a little girl."

"And far more talented than any before her," her grandfather's chest swelled with pride. "If you do away with her, you'll be killing the one your client is really paying for, because I may have taught her everything I know, but she already has own techniques and methods for training that I don't use. I wouldn't imagine your client will be very pleased when I tell him you were mistaken."

The threat dripped from his mouth and hung in the air like an ominous cloud. Taijuro and Touka were silent as they looked at each other, troubled thoughts clearly running across their faces try to read each other's minds.

"We'll have to take her with us as well," Touka said finally, with a clear tang of finality that left no room for argument.

Ryoga saw immediately the troubled look of unease that pulled at Taijuro's face; and Touka saw it too.

"We can't take the chance that he's lying dear, we could lose too much," she insisted.

"I know. Load her in the lead truck. I want her riding up front with us where I can keep an eye on her." Taijuro nodded with a sigh. Then he turned to the rest of the men, his face twisted with irritation. "Ok, enough fooling around. Load the freak and the giant pig into the last truck with the old man, make sure they're secure and finish packing up this damn mess! If you aren't on the trucks in fifteen minutes, you're getting left behind!"

Without another word the men busied themselves with their orders as Taijuro stalked towards one of the trucks, muttering to himself. Ryoga watched him go and was about to make another attempt at busting the cage open when he was suddenly lifted off the ground and thrown off balance, slamming backwards awkwardly into the bars. He squealed in protest at the sudden movement.

"Shut up you stupid freak of nature," one of the men hissed. "Aint no one here that's gonna help you now."

No, Ryoga thought; there wasn't.

They were on their own...

….

…

…

…

….

The truck cabin was filled with a heavy silence that seemed to suck out all the air. Akari sat between the man and his wife, eyes down cast as the woman navigated the old dirt roads like she was driving a rally car. The truck sounded like it was going to come apart with every bump it struck. At first she had gripped the seat in white knuckled terror as the vehicle screamed around hairpin turns that would have been dangerous for a little car to take at full speed, but soon Touka's insane self confidence infected her and she started calm down.

It helped that there were a billion thoughts screaming through her faster than the truck could ever go.

Ryoga was two trucks behind hers with her grandfather and Katsunishiki chained up and sedated respectfully. It was her fault this was happening. If she hadn't gone charging in all bull headed maybe things would have turned out better; maybe she and Katsu could have saved everyone when the poachers were least expecting it. But now they were all captured and she had no cards left to play.

Ryoga was right. She should have stayed at home and let him handle this himself. Perhaps if he hadn't been worried about her, he wouldn't have been caught off guard the way he had been by the rain.

It amazed her how something so small could change everything.

What was she going to do?

"You're awfully quiet," Touka said suddenly.

Akari thought she was talking to her husband at first, but when he said nothing she looked up from her lap to see the woman glancing down at her from the corner of her eyes.

"What can I say?" she simply asked quietly.

Touka shrugged. "Most people in your position would be trying to bargain their way out of this. They'd plead and cry and some even threaten. Few just give up."

Akari felt the swell of anger in her chest and her cheeks flush red. "I haven't given up!"

"Right," Touka snorted harshly.

"I haven't," she repeated sullenly.

"I wouldn't worry anyway. Where you're going is far nicer than that hole a place you call a home. From what I know you're going to be treated like royalty by this moron client," the woman went on. "Not that you probably aren't already used to being treated like a spoilt princess."

Akari generally considered herself a kind and generous person, not prone to violent outbreaks. This woman though had an impressive knack for getting under her skin. It was hard to keep her anger in check; she shouldn't give the witch the satisfaction. She needed to stay calm and collected if she was going to figure a way out of this...

"Think what you like," she replied.

The cabin abruptly fell back into silence with that simple reply, and Akari smiled when she saw the corner of the woman's eye twitch in irritation.

Touka sneered. "If you're expecting someone to come and rescue you, don't!"

….

…

…

…

….

Ryoga sat in contemplative silence inside the cage, frowning in deep thought at the cage door, as the poachers engaged in conversation with one another.

Katsu was still half sedated on the other side of the trailer, two men keeping their tranq guns trained on him at all times; and with good reason. If Katsu found his strength the hell he'd raise in this enclosed space could be potentially disastrous for them all.

Best he just stay incapacitated for now.

Next to him Akari's grandfather also sat in silence, and Ryoga couldn't determine whether or not he was angry with for getting her captured. It wasn't as though he could blame the old man if he was. It was his fault after all for letting her come along.

He shouldn't have been so damn bull headed and asked for Ranma's help when Akari had suggested it. Perhaps with her help he could have avoided this fine and tangled mess he had gotten themselves into.

He couldn't explain why the idea of asking Ranma for help had - did - frighten him; he just knew that things became complicated when she was around and he didn't know how to deal with that.

If he stood any chance at having a happy honest relationship with Akari he needed to work out what was wrong with him so he could move on. For her sake, if not his. She deserved that much for being able to put up with him the way she did.

First though, he needed to figure out how he was going to get out of this.

"You shouldn't blame yourself Mr Hibiki."

The sound of his name caught him off guard and he glanced up to see Akari's grandfather glancing discreetly down at him, his voice barely a whisper amongst the low roar of conversation going on around them.

Ryoga let one ear flop to the side as he tilted his head in surprise.

"This isn't your fault," the old man continued. "Nor is it mine or Akari's. Although she has always been a wilful child, despite her kind out going nature."

The old man smiled fondly at some recollection before he continued.

"What matters now is how we adapt to our situation and find away to rise above," he looked Ryoga straight in the eye. "Right?"

It took a second for him to process those words, but a second later Ryoga nodded, an iron resolve in his eyes.

Yes that was all that mattered at the moment.

"You are capable of using ki," the old man said in a matter of fact tone. "Start channelling it into you're body like you would into your fists before an attack. You'll know when to release it."

He stared confused at the old man for awhile, wondering what he had in mind; but, then he followed the old man's gaze and noticed the steaming mug of coffee being neglected by one of the men watching Katsunishiki.

Even to someone as usually as slow as Ryoga, the intention was obvious.

And alarming!

He looked at the old man with worry and uncertainty, but he merely nodded reassuringly. "Just focus."

Ryoga sighed inwardly and nodded slightly. He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting his animal body relax as best it could. He'd had very few opportunities or reasons to practice channelling ki energy while in his pig form and he was confident in how well he could do it.

But, he reminded himself the alternative was unacceptable! He refused to become some strangers pet!

He closed his eyes and let a calm settle over him. Ki was always there, in everyone and everything, always within reach of those that knew how to take hold of it. At that moment though Ryoga felt the difference between human and pig more clearly than ever; the ki itself wasn't different but the difficulty in channelling it properly was. He felt the energy flowing through him, he could feel it in every part of his being, filling him up to bursting point, until he thought he would explode.

_Just hold it,_ he whispered inwardly. _Just a little more…._

He let images of Akari fill his head, taking strength from the fact that she needed him; that he needed her. He wasn't going to fail because he couldn't, not now. He wasn't going to become someone's pet and he wasn't going to let Akari or her grandfather become slaves to some sick bastard with too much time and money on his hands. They were depending on him; on his strength and his abilities and he couldn't let them down...

"Ryoga," Akari's grandfather whispered tensely. "Get ready."

...He wasn't going to let it end this way...

"Now!"

Katsunishiki lashed out with his leg without warning, whipping his hoof into the cup of hot liquid next to the poacher and sent it flying across the truck before the men knew what was happening. It flipped end over end through the air, the liquid sliding around inside it. Ryoga snapped open his eyes as the cup angled down towards him and leapt, jumping the cage off the truck trailer and into the cup, shattering it into a dozen pieces and raining the hot liquid down on him.

As soon as he felt the liquid touch his skin, he released the stored ki in a single massive blast that tore the cage apart like it was made of straw as his body rapidly changed in mid air. In seconds a teenage boy replaced the black piglet form, kneeling on the truck trailer on one knee, head lowered as steam rose from his body.

The poachers all stared in opened eyed shock, as Ryoga lifted his head and glared through black bangs.

Like a lion about to pounce, he growled ominously.

"Round 2..."

A second later a dozen men were rammed out of the back of the truck with a chorus of screams as they were left tumbling in the vehicles wake. The driver glanced lazily at the side viewer mirror in time to see the last man disappear into the cloud of dust being kicked up behind him. By the time his brain caught up, Ryoga punched through the back of the truck and locked his arm around the driver's neck and pulled him tight against the seat.

"Stop the truck, now!" he snarled.

The truck screeched to a stop a second later with the driver gagging on the arm crushing his wind pipe; when the vehicle finally came to a complete stop Ryoga snapped the man's head backwards into the wall, knocking him unconscious before letting him slump forward over the steering wheel.

Without missing a beat Ryoga gave the chains binding the old man a solid strike and shattered the links with barely a second thought. He looked down to see a couple of the tranquilizer guns on the floor and with a sneer of contempt he sent the guns clattering out of the truck with a simple kick.

"Bastards," he hissed, looking back down the road and hoping the me he'd pushed out of the truck had enough sense - if the fall hadn't knocked them out, - to run in the opposite direction. He shook his head; he had other things to worry about. "I'll let you free these pigs, I need to catch up to the other trucks before they realize they've lost this one."

"Alright, but might I make a suggestion before you run off to save my granddaughter?" Akari's grandfather asked suddenly as Ryoga headed for the open end of the truck. He turned around to see the old man calmly rifling through a crate in the corner. Without warning the old man through a bundle of stuff at him, and smirked. "Put some clothes on first."

It was then that the teenager realized that with the exception of his headband, he was completely naked.

...

...

...

Ryoga sped along the road as quickly as he was capable of running. It was good to be back in his own clothes again, to run on two legs and not be small enough to be mistaken for a plushy. He felt his blood pulse, adrenalin coursing through his body with the weight of his task resting heavily on his shoulders.

He couldn't wait to see the look of that man and woman's faces when he beat them. How dare they treat him like a piece of property to be sold and brought. Further more, how could they treat Akari like that.

It was unforgivable.

Silently he promised that he wouldn't let them do this to anyone else.

Within minutes the enormous dust cloud being kicked up behind the other trucks came into view as he rapidly closed the distance between them, wishing for a moment that he had even a fraction of Ranma's speed; this would all be over by now if he did. Even still they wouldn't know what hit them!

….

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…

…

….

The caged pigs were causing a fuzz; knowing their master and trainer were in trouble, they were trying their hardest to bust open their cages and filling the back of the truck with a ruckus of noise that was grinding the last nerve of the handful poachers guarding them. The truck commander growled inwardly, half tempted to tranquilize all of them just to shut them up, but Taijuro had given implicit instructions to leave them be; too much of the tranquilizer could be a bad thing, and they didn't want to lose even one of the merchandise before they loaded them off on the client.

Even still his headache was growing steadily worse and he was seriously weighing the pro's and con's of disobeying orders.

He stood up with a weary sigh and started to walk around, working the kinks out of his joints. He looked out the back of the truck at the dust cloud behind them, frowning as he realized the rear truck had fallen out of sight. Taijuro had ordered the convoy to stay within sight, so where was it? He had started reaching for his radio to report it in but hesitated and shook his head, it couldn't be that far behind, the driver had probably just lost speed going around a corner. It was hard enough for anyone to keep pace with Touka when she was driving.

They'd be back in sight soon enough.

He'd just turned his back to the road when a yellow and black object whizzed past, slicing through the belt his holster and gun were attached to. His brain froze in confusion and he turned around in time to see the teenage boy leap through the cloud of dust and slam his fist into his stomach. His feet left the ground the instant the boy's fist connected with him, and sent him flying backwards into the wall of the truck's cabin. Black spots swam in front of his mind as the other men started to scream. The boy slipped the black cloth belt from around his waist and a second later it stiffened and flattened.

With a casual swing the belt sliced through the gun of the closest men, separating the barrel from the grip as the boy swept his umbrella around and smashed it into the man's side. It was like he had been hit by a wrecking ball, sending him crashing through the side of the trailer's canvas wall. The other men rushed him all at once, but it was no use. The young man threw them back with a roar that shook the entire vehicle, rage clouding his eyes as he lashed out with easy kicks and punches that left the much bigger men sprawled across the trailer or thrown clear of the truck as they were sent flying out the back.

It was over within a couple of seconds, the men no match for the monstrous teenager. All the truck commander could do was watch in horror as the teenager stalked towards him.

….

…

…

…

….

"Taijuro!" he grabbed the radio. "The boy is fr-"

Akari was startled by the panicked scream that blasted through the radio, making her jump as the older man reached across her for the CB radio.

"Junto, repeat!" the older man growled.

There was a long drawn out silence for a long time as the three passengers waited in anticipation, holding their breath as static crackled ominously. Akari felt her heart beating rapidly, unable to tear her eyes away from the device.

Then Ryoga's voice suddenly came over the radio.

"He said, I'm free!"

There was a loud screech of brakes and three of them looked in the side rear view mirrors to see the truck behind them suddenly fall back out of sight, disappearing into the dust cloud like it had been swallowed whole by an unseen monster.

"Hang on Akari," he added. "I'm coming for you!"

Akari couldn't help but smile at the warm glow that spread through her chest at that moment; only to feel hairs on her neck stand on end when she noticed Touka staring down at her with deepest look of loathing and fury she had ever seen on anyone's face.

"He hasn't saved you yet," the woman snarled.

Akari mustered her courage and replied.

"Yet."

….

…

…

…

….

Darts peppered the ground as Ryoga danced around the projectiles. He popped opened his umbrella and brushed aside another barrage. The men in the back of the truck - there was only a couple, less than there was in the last one - were panicked and their aim was off, coupled with the ineffective ammo made it easy to avoid.

If they thought they were going to stop him with those pathetic little pee-shooters then they were in for a nasty surprise.

He popped the umbrella close and leapt without warning, leaping on to a ledge the ran alongside and above the road. The men in the back of the truck shot blindly above them, but he didn't even have to try and dodge them.

It was almost wrong that this was so easy.

He leapt again and swinging his belt as he dropped he sliced through the canvas roof and landed in the middle of the men in a crouch. They turned in shock but he was already moving, his belt arcing up and slicing easily through a gun as he twisted fluidly and took out one man with the umbrella; he ducked under a punch from one of the others and kicked the man who threw it in the abdomen.

The third and last man with the ruined gun, backed off with a horrified look on his face, realizing the futility of trying to fight back. Ryoga stared at him menacingly. The man glanced over his shoulder at the moving ground outside the truck, then back at Ryoga weighing his options carefully.

Then, without another seconds hesitation he willingly jumped out the back and did a good impression of a tumbleweed.

Ryoga quickly rolled the other two men out the back, watched the tumble along the road like a pair of limp rag dolls and then scanned the trailer to make sure there were no more pigs being transported or that there were no more poachers waiting to try and get the jump on him.

When it became obvious that he was alone, his eyes fell on the diving wall that separated the cabin of the truck from the trailer; that separated him from Akari.

It was torture knowing that only a few centimetres of metal were all that kept him from desperately reaching out to touch her.

Ryoga shook his head; he had to focus.

His lack of concentration had been the bane of his existence for months. From letting Ranma fall victim to the crystal, to failing to notice Kinnii attack fast enough to avoid it, allowing the Preservation Society to capture Ranma. Again his dismal focus had let Yukino attack and change Ranma when he should have been able to pluck the damn needle out of mid air; he had failed to notice the crazed red head remove the letter from his pocket, and finally, barely a couple of hours ago when the rain had caught him of guard.

All the things, all the bad stuff that had happened in the last couple of months could be linked straight back to his lack of focus and he refused to let it happen again, not here, not with Akari's fate hanging in the balance!

He had failed Ranma...

...He wouldn't fail Akari too.

Ryoga leapt onto the top of the truck through the hole he had made before, and spread his weight on the frame that held the canvas shell in place. The trucks speed nearly threw him off balance. He had ridden on the side and on top of trains in the past, and still he had never gotten use to the dramatic shift in speeds and forces that battered the body.

He gritted his teeth and struggled forward.

He had only taken a couple of steps when the drivers side door had flew open and the woman, Touka climbed out. The entire she glared at Ryoga like a scorned animal, moving with relative ease across the roof of the truck's cabin much to Ryoga's surprise and irritation.

"You should give up now," he growled.

Touka cracked her neck as she shrugged off the jacket she was wearing, exposing taut toned muscles.

She sneered. "Don't forget, I know you won't attack me. You're too honourable to attack a woman."

"You're underestimating me if you think I need to attack you to beat you," he shifted his stance, readying himself. "Come on, I'm ready for you."

She smiled hungrily. "Oh honey, you're far from ready for me..."

She leapt at without warning, closing the distance between them in the space of a second. He fist caught him across the face, the momentum behind it sending him stumbling back awkwardly on the frame. He snapped around in time to see her pressing her attack, coming at him like an angry lioness.

He lent back out of the way, her fist cleaving down past his chest like a deadly knife. She snapped around in the same motion and slammed the heel of her boot into his stomach...

And screamed as her foot met iron hard muscles, jarring the joint and sending shockwaves agony shooting up through her leg to her hip. She leapt back and landed on her good leg, dropping on to her good knee. She grabbed at her hurting foot, rubbing it as she glared at Ryoga grinding her teeth at his smirking face.

"What?" he asked. "Weren't you ready for that?"

She sneered and pulled out a small six shooter revolver that had been stuck in her boot. Ryoga eye's widened in shock and the teenager threw himself back down through the hole in the trailers roof a second before two bullets tore through the air where he'd been standing. He zig zagged to the side as another two bullets ripped through the canvas ceiling and trailer bed. His eyes scanned the trailer rapidly for something he could use, unable to believe that the crazy woman would resort to using a gun.

"You may be a good fight, but you're still a flesh and blood person!" the woman screamed, her voice defying the wind as it tried to muffle her. "I'm going to enjoy killing you!"

Ryoga growled. "If you think I'm going to b- ack!"

A bullet sliced down through the canvas and whizzed past his neck so close he could feel the burn of the bullet as it past his skin. Ryoga stumbled out of the way as another bullet shot of the gun with a whip like crack, followed by a series of clicks as the gun fired uselessly with the telltale signs of an empty barrel.

"Damn it!" Touka cursed angrily, hissing like an angry viper.

Ryoga jumped up; this was his chance!

The teenager scrambled across the trailer as he heard Touka fumbling with extra bullets. He snatched up a net bundled between two supply boxes and jumped straight up, tearing through the canvas roof behind Touka. The woman whirled around in surprise as he pulled the net over her, knocking the gun out of her hands and tackling her down into the trailer bed. She screeched and flailed around like a rabid beast as he struggled to grab the ends of the net.

Finally he managed to snatch them off the trailer and tied them together, pulling them tight so her legs and arms couldn't stretch to their full length.

He sat back breathing heavily, watching to make sure she was secure.

"You stupid brat!" she raged "I'm going to rip you're g-"

The woman was abruptly silenced as the truck hit a pot hole, throwing her into the air and slamming her down hard against the trailer floor, her head snapping back against it hard enough to knock her out.

Ryoga sighed in relief. "Finally!

….

…

…

…

….

Akari's blood turned to ice when the first two gunshots cracked through the truck cabin like a crack of thunder, the sound coming from something much more powerful than a tranquilizer gun. Her heart raced, struggling in the ice cold, terrifying grip of fear. She tried to see what was happening, turning in her seat, staring in the side rear view mirror to catch a glimpse, but she could on move so far' having been cuffed to the seat. Next to her Taijuro cursed under his breath and shot her looks of frustrated loathing, and she eyed him wearily.

"You should give up now," she told him. "You've lost."

Without warning his hand was around her neck, her eyes widening with terror as his grip tightened dangerously and his eyes burned like hot coals.

"I never lose," he hissed. "Especially not to a pair of pests!"

As the words left his mouth the driver's side door flew open and Ryoga was suddenly standing there, hanging on to the frame with an angry glare. "Then you should learn to pick your enemies better then, shouldn't you?"

Taijuro served violently, nearly throwing Ryoga free of the truck as his body swung out over empty space. Ryoga tightened his grip on the frame of the door until his knuckles turned white. He pulled himself back in and threw a wild punch that missed Taijuro's head by mere centimetres, the constant movements of the truck throwing his aim off. Taijuro pulled out the tranquilizer gun on his belt and slammed the butt of the weapon into the teenager's face, the force of the hits sending bolts of pain exploding through his head.

Akari cried out as she watched the skin split beneath the impacts and send blood trickling down his face, but still his hold held firm to the truck and he powered through the haze of agony quickly filling his head. Taijuro gritted his teeth and threw more power behind the hits, but Ryoga weathered them all before at last he knocked the weapon clear of the truck, sending it spinning through the air out of sight.

Taijuro snarled and lashed out with a foot, struggling all the while to keep control of the truck as it served wildly back and forth across the road. Ahead one side of the road dropped away for hundreds of feet with a sheer cliff rising high above them on the opposite side. Water spewed out from a cave below the road, feeding a long curving river that stretched into distance, disappearing into the forests below. It was barely big enough for a small car let alone a wide truck and it had been hard enough to get around days earlier.

It was a death road.

Taijuro slammed his foot on the accelerator and the truck lurched forward like a charging animal, tyres skidding as they struggled to find traction on the aging road. Ryoga grunted as his grip slipped and he fell backwards, grabbing out a second later to catch the edge of the door frame and stopped himself short of falling under the wheels. Despite the cold, sweat trickled down his face.

"You shouldn't meddle in the business of others, stupid brat!" Taijuro yelled, grabbing the handle of the door and slammed it hard against the teenager's fingers.

Ryoga screamed as the door tried to crush his knuckles; it took all his effort not to let ago. Pain darkened his vision with black spots floating across his eyes. Even still he pushed past the incredible agony and pulled himself up, ripping the door from the truck as Taijuro tried to slam it shut again, it clattered against the road, bounced and caught beneath the vehicle with a terrible crunching.

"Get off my truck!" Taijuro punched at him again.

Ryoga sneered. "Not until you give me back Akari damn it!"

He punched Taijuro across the face, throwing the older man back in his seat. The steering wheel spun suddenly and slammed the truck into the other side of the road, into the sheer cliff wall, metal grinding and screeching against rock. The entire machine shuddered and shook violently as the other side of the truck buckled and dented, the rock face tearing away bits of metal until a jagged piece tore through the tyre. It exploded with a great whoosh of air escaping the inner tube.

The color drained from Taijuro's face in a moment of terrifying realization as he slammed his feet down on the brakes, to no affect. Ryoga realized quickly that the door he'd ripped off before must have torn the brake cable.

Without a second thought he threw himself inside the cabin, diving over Taijuro and threw himself over Akari as the truck hit a ragged pot hole. The entire vehicle lurched abruptly and violently into the cliff wall, the front end crumpling like paper before it sailed out off the road and into empty air. It hung suspended in the air for what seemed like an eternity, before it suddenly plunged like the twisted wreck of metal it was.

Akari screamed as everything was thrown into chaos, loose bits and pieces flying around the cabin; and then, the trucks came to a sudden stop and everything went black...

...

...

...

...Ryoga jerked awake with a gasp, breathing heavily as he gazed up at blue sky in confusion. Dark green orbs darted back and forth, his ears filled with a rushing roar that matched the rhythm of the pulsing ache in his head. Blood ran down his face from a gash across his brow and dripped into his mouth. Everything ached like never before; he could feel blood oozing from various cuts and pain pounded his body with relentless viciousness.

A groan to his side made him, to see Taijuro slowly coming to, still strapped into the drivers seat. It was then that Ryoga realized that he was staring directly at Taijuro.

Fighting pain and waves of nausea that crashed over him, the dark haired teenager propped himself up on one arm and looked around; and gasped.

He was laying across the wrecked bonnet of the truck, crumpled metal poking him in the side.

Without warning everything started to shake and tilt and Ryoga looked around, the colour draining from his face at what he saw. The truck was suspended over the river below by a tree that was growing out of the cliff face, the water fall blasting out beside them only a few meters away. He felt the hairs on his body stand on end with the realization that the tree had saved their lives. It didn't take a genius to figure out at the abrupt impact against the tree had propelled him through the windshield, obvious from the massive hole left in it.

_Akari, _he realized suddenly.

He looked back to the cabin again only to see that she wasn't their in the passenger seat. Fear rolled through him like an unstoppable tidal wave, panic overriding every ounce of sense and calm he had in his entire body.

"Akari!" he called, pulling himself into a sitting position.

It didn't take him long to spot her. She was caught between a pair of thick branches a metre or so away from the hood of the truck, hanging limply from the creaking limbs and dangling over a straight drop down with jagged rocks waiting for her at the bottom. The sight turned his blood cold, his throat drying so quickly it was almost as if it were a sponge, soaking up every drop of moisture.

"Akari," he hissed, eyes darting over every visible part of her, searching for any sign of injuries. "Akari can you hear me? Are you alright? Akari?"

When she didn't respond he looked around hesitantly; Taijuro was still barely conscious and the truck was relatively stable. He looked back over to where she was and started to inch forward, constantly aware of any shift in weight that might send the truck plummeting to the ground. Within a minute or so of careful manoeuvring he was close enough to touch her. He gently shook her, his eyes wide with concern.

"Akari, please wake up," he pleaded worriedly.

Almost as if answering his prayers, she groaned. He grabbed her arm out of caution to stop her from falling in case she broke a branch.

"Ryoga?" she whispered as she came to. "What happ- Oh my god!"

"Easy!" he said, holding her still and letting her know he had hold of her. "I can get us out of here easily; we just need to stay calm. Any sudden movements can send it all to the ground and we don't want that, ok?"

She stared at him in terror, her entire body quivering, her lower lip trembling as he held her steady. Finally she nodded, swallowing nervously as she stared to move more carefully, lifting and wrapping her legs around one of the branches for a better hold while using her other arm to prop herself up. The whole time Ryoga watched the wooden limb for signs that it was about to snap, ready to snatch her up without any care for what that might do to the truck.

Akari looked past him and suddenly screamed. "Ryoga watch out!"

His eyes widened and he whirled around in time to see Touka lunge at him from the roof of the truck with a primal scream of rage on her battered blood streaked face and a knife gleaming in her hand. Ryoga caught the blade between both hands as he fell on to his back, the entire truck lurching violently with the sudden movements; the tip of the blade a hairs width from his eye...

"You meddling little twerp!" she roared, spit flying from her mouth and splattering him across the face, her eyes blind with fury. "I'll rip your damn throat out!"

Ryoga pushed her away with his legs, slamming her backwards against the already shattered windshield. Her breath exploded from her lungs in a sudden whoosh from the impact, and only served to fuel her rage even further. Touka was moving again barely a second later, before Ryoga even had time to get on his feet; with the flick of a wrist she sent her knife flying. Ryoga screamed as the blade slid easily into his shoulder, white agony shooting up and down his arm and shoulder as blood pumped out of the wound.

"Ryoga!" Akari screamed, trying to reach out to him, but the branch shoot every time she tried to stretch more than an inch beyond her reach. She turned a furious glare at Touka. "Leave him alone!"

"You two have ruined everything," she hissed. "This was suppose to be a simple job, and look what you've done! You damn freak of nature! I wont let either of you get away with this!"

Ryoga felt the darkness of unconsciousness threatening to consume him, the black spots floating across his eyes seeming to grow with every second. So much of his body hurt from pains he had never experienced before. He had been pounded relentlessly by giant boulders and survived a mountain closing in around him, but that was different. He had been prepared for the pains the boulders would inevitably caused and had been able to protect himself even slightly against the barrage; even with the mountain closing around him he'd had his _Bakusai Tenketsu_ to break through the rocks. At that moment though, with the knife in his shoulder, his body battered, the gash on his head and his fingers feeling like they were shattered, all his previous experiences didn't seem to compare.

"I'm going to enjoy spilling your blood kid," the woman sneered as she pulled a second knife from her a hidden sheath in her boot.

Ryoga sighed in exasperation, wincing as he slowly pulled himself up, legs wobbling uneasily as he stood at his full height. "I'm through playing games with you. You want to kill me? Go ahead and try it...if you can!"

Touka's face creased angrily, a low animalistic growl emanating from her throat as muscles tensed and she prepared herself to pounce.

"That's enough Touka!"

The sharp commanding order reverberated like a whip crack, stopping Touka as she was about to lunge, and turned. Taijuro was fully awake now, calmly undoing the clasp of his seat belt. Their was weary exhaustion in his eyes, and he was just as battered as the rest of them, he didn't let it carry through in his voice though, which sounded as strong as ever. Ryoga noticed for the first timet he drastic difference in age between the husband and wife; she was much younger than her husband - though not nearly as young as himself or Akari - and it showed as she stared at him in frustrated disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" she snapped. "Look at what this bastard has done!"

"Exactly," Taijuro replied though clenched teeth as his face twisted in a pained grimace. "Look at what he's done to save and protect the one he loves? Look at what he's capable of doing. Do you honestly think you can beat him? Look at him, even with all the wounds and injuries he has he's still ready to fight with the same determination. I was stupid enough to think I could beat him and I nearly killed us all. Don't make the same mistake Touka."

"Don't be foolish," she hissed. "He's bluffing! He can barely move."

Ryoga levelled a challenging glare, clenching his teeth; he saw a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, just for a second.

"It's not worth it Touka," Taijuro sighed. "As satisfying as it would be to see them pay for all the trouble they've cause, it just isn't worth it. We've lost our support, we've lost our transport and we all probably need medical attention now; besides, even if it was worth it, this isn't the place to be fighting and you know it. There's no point to dragging this out any longer; we've lost, and that's all there is to it."

A heavy silence settled across the precarious scene, with Ryoga locking his gaze with Touka's and glaring into it as if to confirm Taijuro's observation. The old man was right; there was no way in the nine hells he was going to let them win, no matter how many wounds he had or how bad they were. Even still Touka stared at him without blinking, sizing him up and down, noting his stance and looking for any openings he might have left - and he was certain there were none - all the while going over her husbands words in her head. He could see that she wanted to pounce, that it'd be easy for her to do so.

_Don't do it,_ he pleaded inwardly.

He didn't want to tarnish his fists by hitting a woman, but he would if she forced him to, if it meant protecting Akari from her he would hesitate if she gave him no other choice.

Touka sighed heavily finally and relaxed her stance, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine."

Ryoga sighed in relief, relaxing only slightly as he watched the woman turn - reluctantly, he thought from the look in her eyes - away from him, watching for any sudden movement or sign that she was about to attack. Instead though, her attention was focused solely on her husband. Slowly he let himself relax more and more as it became obvious that her husband's words had done the trick.

The truck lurched suddenly and angled down sharply. Ryoga fell backwards and grabbed the up tilted edge of the vehicle with his good arm, at the same time Touka screamed and fell. Her feet slipped from under her faster than she could react and her head smacked against the hood of the truck with a sickening thump.

"Touka!"

Taijuro hauled himself out of the driver's seat and reached around to grab his wife's hand as she slid out of control off the edge. His large meaty hand wrapped around hers, but he didn't have time to brace himself properly and the sudden shift in weight tilted the truck even more until it was practically on its side, and pulled him out of the cabin with a gasp. Ryoga watched in horror as the two plummeted down and away from the truck towards the wide winding river below. In mid air Taijuro pulled a screaming Touka closed to his body, and a few seconds later the two of them disappeared into the river with an enormous splash.

Ryoga watched for what felt like the longest time…

…Neither of them came up again…

"Ryoga, help!"

He snapped his head around as deafening crack echoed through the air. He turned in time to see the branch Akari was clinging to starting to tear away from the rest of the tree, weakened by the constant movement of the truck and Akari's weight. His heart thumped with panic and he reached out to her.

"Grab my hand!" he grunted, trying to stretch it out as much as he possibly could.

Akari tried to grab it, but the way the truck had moved had put a bigger distance between them and Ryoga was afraid to move more than he already had for fear of dislodging the truck and sending the both of them following after Taijuro and Touka. He wasn't sure she could survive a fall like that, even with him using his body to protect her.

She continued to stretch her fingers out to their absolute limit, sweat dripping off her head despite the biting cold. "I can't rea- arrrggh!"

With a resounding crack the branch came free and Akari screamed as gravity grabbed hold of her.

Ryoga's eyes widened in horror, and his heart stopped just for a second as she fell. Without thinking he let go of his hold on the truck and slid down the steep incline of the truck hood, matching Akari's speed, and slid off. He was suspended just for a second in empty space, before he grabbed hold of the wheel guard and stopped his fall. With his other hand he whipped out and snatched one of Akari's flailing hands out of mid air.

And howled, as an explosion of white blinding agony lanced through his wounded shoulder, tearing the knife wound open a little more as Akari jerked to a stop and letting blood run freely down his arm, over his hand and between his fingers, before it started travelling down the terrified girl's arm.

With the blood turning his grip slick, her wrist slowly started to slip through his hold.

"Ryoga, please don't let me fall!" she pleaded, eyes wide and quivering in unimaginable terror.

He gasped, shoulder burning. "I won't Ranma!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, it was like a blanket of silence fell across the world, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief, and just for a second, paralysed in place, he forgot where he was. All he could do, was look down at Akari, who stared back him, her eyes a mix of confusion and unmistakeable stung hurt.

The truck groaned, reminding Ryoga of the situation at hand.

Gathering what strength he had left he pushed the pain and everything else to the back of his mind, flung himself and Akari up on to the other side of the teetering, unstable machine and swept her up in both arms. With one final push, he leapt from the truck, sending it crushing down on to the rocks at the base of the waterfall. A few seconds later Ryoga landed on the road above and breathing heavily.

Gently he placed Akari on the ground, and without a word, collapsed first on to his knees and then on to his side, letting exhaustion over take him...

….

…

…

…

….

Water rushed past in rapid currents that carried bits and chunks of trees down the length of the snake like river, white water churning on rocks further down like boiling liquid in a heated pot. It was like ice with snowy slush slipping off the banks, chilling it to near freezing point.

Then a massive form broke the surface.

Taijuro heaved a coughing, spluttering Touka out of the water and on to the river bank, before he collapsed on his back, chest rising and falling in rapid motions, heart pounding and water dripping from his and her saturated bodies. Neither of them said a word, they just stayed their, motionless for the longest time, their minds racing as fast their pounding hearts. His old body ached like never before, joints seizing from the cold, old injuries throbbing.

From the corner of his eye, Taijuro saw his wife trembling, eyes reflecting fear. And he couldn't blame her. He thought they were as good as dead as soon as they as started to plummet.

Thank the kami for deep water.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

"We're fine." He smiled in amusement, unable to believe it himself really.

"I can't believe we survived that," she breathed, helping him into a sitting position before sitting beside him, shivering.

They sat there for a long time, using each other for what little warmth they could through their freezing soaked clothes. Neither of them so much as battered an eye lid when pieces of their truck started to float pass them down the river. Taijuro though shook his head in disbelief at the whole fiasco, blaming his own arrogance and impatience more now than the lack of professionalism of his men. It was his own fault for thinking that a mere teenager couldn't best him or Touka.

"What will we do now?" she asked finally, a bitter edge to her tone.

Taijuro breathed deeply and stared up at the greyish sky.

"We learn from today and then, we start again..."

….

…

…

…

….

The house was eerily quiet and heavy with tension as night rapidly approached like a creeping blanket of darkness from the horizon. Despite the cold, Ryoga sat on the porch with only a singlet on, staring into the forest at the edge of the property as if waiting, or daring an enemy to emerge from it. He'd be lying if he didn't feel an itch of paranoia, but then again he felt entirely justified after everything that had happened.

Bandages tightly wrapped his hands and around each finger; first aid tape held gauze packed against the knife wound in his shoulder and another bandage covered that and wrapped most of the way down his arm. The pain he'd sustained from the 'adventure' had all but disappeared, leaving him with a dull throb in various places.

He would be back to fighting shape in a couple of days and then it would be like nothing had ever happened.

Ryoga lowered his head and sighed; but it had happened...

...And there was no changing what had happened.

He wanted to bang his head against the ground and scream in frustration! The look in Akari's eyes was burned into his mind, tearing him apart from the inside out. It was more painful than any physical pain he could ever sustain in battle. Akari had barely said a word since he had woke up, and he could tell that she was feeling just as awkward around him as he felt and that just made things worse.

He didn't know what to say to her, or even to himself for that matter. He hadn't meant to say _her _name; he was thinking of Akari at the time, his fear was for her and he had wanted to save her, but instead it was like his mouth had taken on a life of its own and ignored the commands from his brain.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he cursed under his breath.

Everything was so wrong...

"Ryoga..."

He looked up in surprised to see Akari standing across from him, comically wrapped in the layers of winter clothing and a scarf flowing around her neck and over her shoulder; she stared at him in concern. She looked tired and drained, fighting off exhaustion and a much deserved rest. Her face, though it still carried her seemingly limitless, unconditional gentle and compassionate spirit, was set in a expression of hard thought and contemplation, with a hint of sadness that sat at the very edges of her eyes.

"I think we need to talk," she added, so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

And he almost wished he hadn't... "Akari, about what I sai-"

She smiled placed a delicate finger against his lips, her own forming a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes the way it should have. "I know, Ryoga. Its ok, its not about that. I understand that you've been through a lot in the past couple of months and Ranma was a big part of that and a lot changed in that time. So I think it's only natural that she might still be the front of your mind and the situation we were in was likely to remind you of recent events."

Ryoga could barely believe his ears, and stared in disbelief at her. How could one person be this understanding. Had this been anyone else, he was certain his would be bleeding from the constant berating. Had it been Akane he was sure without a doubt that she would have caved his head in with her trusty mallet without even a single hesitation... How Ranma ever withstood all those brutal blows was beyond his comprehension.

"That's not to say, it didn't hurt," she added softly, causing him to wince and inwardly curse himself. "But that's not what I want to talk to you about."

A breeze whistled through the trees, leafs rustling and branches creaking as powdery snow and loose dirt were picked up and flung into the air, swirling about in a strange dance under the pale moonlight; for once the sky was mostly clear, letting stars twinkle down on the property, like an audience of countless eyes, watching, and waiting...

Akari sighed deeply. "I've been thinking about some of the things Ranma said, when she attacked me..."

"Akari you can't take any notice of what she may have said," he told her. "She wasn't herself and didn't mean anything she did say."

"I know that," the young girl nodded. "Even so I think she may have touched on something that was very true, even if she herself didn't mean what she was saying."

He listened, curious and nervous at the same time and cursing Yukino for interfering in all their lives so completely. How long would they all have to bare the chaos left by that sadistic witch of a woman? It was bad enough the things she had done to Ranma, but to pull Akari into all of this was unforgivable.

He was almost afraid to ask. "What did she say?"

"She said that the two of us are only together because of the conditions my Grandfather put in place," she replied with lowered eyes; but then, she looked at him in sadness, with the eyes of someone struggling with a decision made. "And...I'm starting to think that, whether she meant it or not, Ranma was right...no, let me finish, please...She was right. We are only together because of those conditions and that was as much my fault as it was my grandfathers. I was raised to admire and respect the strength and courage of pigs and their ability to fight that I didn't dare even consider that what Grandfather wanted for me might not necessarily be what I wanted and so I blindly and excitedly believed in those conditions. But, we both know that that isn't reason enough to spend your entire life with someone..."

"Akari," he said, almost pleading as he got up, his legs feeling like jelly and a sick heavy feeling pushing down on his stomach and filling his throat, trying to suffocate him.

But she shook her head. "Don't misunderstand me Ryoga. You are the greatest, most wonderful person and amazing person I have ever met. You're brave and funny, you're caring and sweet and I know I can rely on you. I know you would go to the ends of the earth and back again for me if you had to, and even if you didn't. I love you and I know you love me, but I don't think we're _in love_ with each other. What we have now...it isn't real... We could keep going this way for the rest of our lives, but what if some day in the future we suddenly resented each other because we just accepted my Grandfather's conditions? That's not fair on either of us; you know it and I know it."

He stared at her in silence, not knowing what to say; he only knew that it felt like everything was crashing in around like great waves of despair trying to obliterate his existence. It took every scrap of strength he had not to collapse into a deflated lump on her porch. The only time he had felt despair as truly as powerful as this was when he had first used the ultimate _Shishi Hokodan _on Ranma, when Akane had unknowingly driven a dagger through his heart and twisted it with her kindness.

Silently, Akari slipped her arms around him and he felt his automatically wrap around her as she rest her head against his chest.

"I believe Ryoga, that if we are meant to be together then we will be together, but for now we can't be," she explained. "I've only ever done what I've been told to do, believed without question what I've been told and accepted that I had no real choices in my life other than the path that was chosen for me. I don't think Grandfather intended for it to be that way, but that's how its alway felt to me. I don't want to be that person anymore; I don't want to be the kind of person that needs other's to settle things for her. Right now, I need to figure out who I am, who I want to be and what I want for myself, and you need to do the same Ryoga. Fate will bring us together again if we are meant to be, I just know it."

They stood in silence for a long time, holding one another in a tight embrace. The entire time he wanted to tell her she was wrong, that they _were_ meant to be together and they shouldn't have to wait. He did love her. He wanted to be near her all the time and there were times when he couldn't stop thinking about her, about how kind and sweet she was. When all other girls would have left him to wander aimlessly, she had drawn him a map. How could he just ignore all that?

Deep down inside though, he knew she was right. He'd known this day would come eventually, even since he had first met her. He had wanted to believe that it was just his usual pessimistic outlook on life trying to sabotage everything for him as it always did, and that nothing could separate them.

But it had been too good to be true...

"You deserve better than me anyway," he said finally, sighing as he did and trying to contain the lump of emotion he felt in his throat. "You deserve someone that can always be there for you, that's reliable and doesn't get lost going to the bathroom... Maybe one day I can be that for you..."

…

…

…

The next morning was sombre and quiet as Ryoga silently packed his bag and secured his umbrella to the top of it. The air was thick with tension, suffocating almost. Akari wanted to say something, but there was nothing left to say. She had made her decision and in her heart she knew it was the right one to make. Even still, it didn't make it any easier and there was still the niggling bit of doubt at the back of her mind that kept asking her, _are you making the right choice_?

It was, she was sure of that; for both of them...

At last Ryoga was finished adjusting and checking his bag, and reluctant slowness he stood up and pulled it on to his back. They stared at each other for the longest time, neither of them knowing what to say. For both of them this was the first relationship they had ever had; they didn't know what they were suppose to say.

Finally, Ryoga smiled sadly. "Goodbye Akari..."

And then, without any further hesitation or another word, he turned and started to walk away, gravel and dirt crunching under his feet. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he got further and further away, never once looking back until he got to the tree line. He paused and looked back and she was glad she couldn't see his face from so far away. Akari could do nothing except watch him, struggling to keep from running after him.

And then, with agonizing abruptness...he turned and was gone...

Akari sagged onto the porch step, tears trickling down the sides of her face as her heart felt like it was being torn in two.

Her grandfather quietly sat down next to her.

"I am so very proud of you Akari," he said, voice swelling with pride as he wrapped her in a comforting hug. "You made a hard choice today, that not many would be able to were they in your shoes. I'm sure you two will be together someday..."

Akari nodded silently, but it was solely for her Grandfather's benefit. Because she knew, deep down inside her, that she was never going to see him again.

There was someone else that he needed more than her...

**:::To Be Continued:::**

**...:::::::::::::::...**

**A/N:**

** Ok, so we've come to the turning point I think in the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it was very difficult to write. I covered in the A/N for the last chapter my reasons for playing Akari the way I did so I wont go into that again. As for the difficult part I think the hardest part was having Ryoga confront a bunch of relatively normal people and knowing that if this was in the anime, he would have torn through them without breaking a sweat, most likely.**

** However for dramatic effect and to stretch the story out, I couldn't have that happen. Additionally I know that in the anime and manga he probably wouldn't have taken as much physical damage as he did in this story, but again, this is my story, not the anime or the manga and I don't like playing the characters as invincible so that's why I had Ryoga take as much damage as he did.**

** As for the fighting in general in this chapter, I tried my best to streamline it a bit more, but that being said its going to be the last chapter with any major kind of conflict for a quite a few chapters, probably the last till near the end.**

** I will mention something Akari. I hope the section at the end between her and Ryoga came across the way I wanted it to come across. I don't hate her character by any stretch, I just, personally don't think that the two of them are right for each other. **

** I have the same opinion of Ranma and Shampoo pairings. I just don't see it happening because if Shampoo had never discovered Ranma was really a guy she would have continued to have been hell bent on killing him. Same with Ukyo, although I am more tolerant of Ranma and Ukyo pairings because the two of them actually have a history together. Call me a romantic but I don't think that tradition or the conditions laid down by a father or grandfather are good foundations for a relationship between two people.**

** It may have worked back in the day when marriages were more political and strategically, but not in this day and age. **

** Anyway, I'll finish rambling now. **

** I'll will end this note with thanking you all for sticking around and putting up with the lengthy wait between chapters. I will be trying my hardest to get chapters finished a lot more quickly though I want people to realize that chapters from this point on will require a fair bit of thought and consideration on my half, so if there is a delay between chapters, know its only because I want to give you all a good quality story to read.**

** So with that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter; if you didn't, oh well I'll just have to try better next time, I just hope you stick around.**

** See yah's next time ^_^**


	20. Chapter 19: Other Side of the Coin!

**A/N: Ok, finally I'm back with a new chapter for you all!**

**This chapter wasn't difficult so much as it was exhausting. With the hiatus after the whole deal Yukino it was hard to get back into the mind set of the character but after a lot of time spent mapping out this chapter I'm happy to say I'm back and hopefully I might be able to start pumping out chapters with a bit more speed again, as I do enjoy writing this story as I've said many times before. It fun to write a story that you know people enjoy.**

**Ah, to Maltrazz I just want to say, Yukino isn't of Noble birth, I simply meant that she came across as noble-like due to her upbringing and the high status of her family. **

**Just quickly, as always I hope this chapter lives up to the expectations of people and I apologize for any errors in spelling or grammar that I may have missed. I could go over this a thousand times and probably still miss something.**

**And with that, on with the chapter!**

**...**

**...**

**...**

Chapter 19

_Other Side of the Coin_

_The cool, clear crisp night was deceptively peaceful, filled with the song and chatter of restless birds and busy insects; a low wind whistled through branches, rustling leafs, bushes and long strands of grass. A fresh chill saturated everything, from the ground to the numerous trees and rocks that littered the area, covering it all a cold slimy frost, which caught the moon light and sparkled like a billion tiny diamonds in the night, reflecting the field of stars above. _

_However, despite it all, the young girl sweated like she was surrounded by raging fire. Drenched in sweat she burned uncontrollably with a persistent, malicious heat that rolled and throbbed through her every conceivable inch of her entire body, gasping in weak heavy breaths. The heat sapped all her strength and left her weak and helpless, staring blindly up at the twinkling canvas of pin prick lights in the sky._

_There was no relief to be had._

_Demon and monsters filled her wild and sluggish, waking dreams, shouts and screams and mind wracking pain; unimaginable agonies that seemed as tangible as the ground beneath her. She'd reach out to protect herself, only to realize her arms were pinned to her sides. The pair of arms wrapped around her were like tree limbs made of iron, holding her firm against a bare naked chest of even harder muscles that her head rested on. Despite her delirious state, she felt an overwhelming sense of safeness, like she was protected by an impenetrable wall and nothing at all could possibly hurt her_

_It didn't matter that right at that moment, with her mind muddled the way it was that she didn't know who she was..._

_Everything in her head was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions that swirled and stormed violently, too confusing to keep track of. Everything was so confusing and her head felt like was going to fall straight off her shoulders it felt so dizzy, as images assaulted her brain. Other people, places and events that played out over and over again in her mind, but even though she knew they should of, none of them made any sense. She knew she should know what it all meant but she just couldn't seem to connect the dots….._

_She inwardly shrugged; what did she care anyway? She was safe here, with those powerful arms wrapped around her, protecting her like she was the only important thing in the world._

_She snuggled her head against his chest, shifting it into the nook of his shoulder._

_Almost as a second thought she looked up to see who belonged to those powerful arms, and blushed at the handsome, perfect specimen of a young man that snoozed lightly with his head resting against the tree towering over them. _

_She knew without knowing how, that he was protecting her from whatever nasty dangers were lurking in the darkness around them…. It made her heart skip a beat…or was that because of the monstrous heat overwhelming her body, turning it into a small furnace of flesh, blood and bones?_

…_.Or was that heat because of him…..?_

_She shook her head; it didn't matter. She was content and that was enough._

_Even asleep she could see he was tormented by his own demon, his face set in a hard firm frown, but his eyes fluttered beneath their lids with dreams and nightmares that made his entire body twitch. She sensed weariness in him, physical and mental exhaustion, fear even, but still he spared enough of his strength and his presence, of himself to make her feel safe…_

_Without thinking, she weakly raised herself higher, wriggling free of his embrace so that she could be face to face…nose to nose…_

_Lip to lip…_

_She smiled as her breath tickled his nose, stirring him from his sleep. He blinked sleepily at her with dark green orbs. It took a few seconds to get his bearings, before he stared at her in confusion, seemingly frozen in place and his mouth partly opened as if he were about to say something. Her hands gently cupped his cheeks and as his eyes darted back and forth in sudden, terror frozen panic….._

…_. she kissed him._

Ranma bolted awake with a shriek that died off seconds later as the breath rushed out of her; large crystal blue orbs darted back and forth in wide eyed adrenalin induced terror, chest rising and falling in rapid heart pounding near hyper ventilating gasps. Sweat trickled down creamy smooth skin tickling the flesh and plastering locks of bright red hair to the sides of her face. The red head blinked a couple of times, eyes blinking back the blurriness as she realized she was staring at her own reflection in the full length mirror on the opposite side of the room; even in the morning light, dimmed by the curtains drawn across the window she could see her face was bright red.

Even if she couldn't see it, she certainly felt it; her face felt like it was going to catch on fire.

"_No_," she groaned inwardly. "_Not again!_"

Without warning the alarm clock went off and Ranma jumped, her nerves already frayed. She silenced it with an irritated swat, and then slumped backwards against the mattress with an exaggerated sigh. She closed her eyes just for a second, and his eyes flashed into her head again; Ranma punched her fists against the bed with a frustrated growl, cheeks getting startling hotter.

She rubbed her eyes, frowning. "Stupid dreams."

The room was silent and dark, long morning shadows filtering through the curtains and under the bedroom door. Downstairs she could hear her mother in the kitchen and smelt the wondrous aroma of breakfast as it drifted throughout the house, tempting the tired red head from her bed. Instead she rolled over and stuck her head under the pillow; her mind was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, her heart still pounding rapidly in her chest like tribal drums. She sighed in frustration and annoyance, wondering if she was finally starting to lose it.

It had been a weeks since Yukino's brainwashing has been removed and first, everything felt like was going back to normal…... and then the dreams had started. Now she wondered if all the messing around that witch had done to her mind had left something unhinged and out of whack. She had no idea what damage that evil bitch had done to her brain, or what little time _bombs _she had waiting to go off inside of her. For a nearly a week after the whole mess, she had been worried about suddenly turning on her friends and family without warning.

Ranma smiled humorlessly; If Akane or the others found out she was doubting herself like this she'd never hear the end of it.

A sudden burst of realization screwed her face up in a groan. It was Saturday already and she had promised to go shopping with Akane and Ukyo. She'd sooner take a screw driver to her own eyes, then spend all day looking at crap she didn't really want to buy in the first place; the two girls had been hounding her for days, she had only agreed/buckled when Ukyo had asked when her mother was hovering around. Her mother thought it was a wonderful idea and _urged _her to go and like with Kasumi, when her mother _urged _someone to do something, it got done. So, Ranma found herself committed to do something that sounded about as much fun as smacking a bull's ass with a branding iron.

She just wanted to laze around in bed all day and do nothing.

She didn't feel very good…

But a promise was a promise and she would never hear the end of it if she tried to get out of it; so with a great explosive sigh of reluctance and frustration, she heaved herself out of bed and slouched to the bathroom with a miserable look in her eyes, wincing uncomfortably and grabbing at her abdomen; yeah, today was going to be loads of fun, she thought sourly.

Maybe she could get this over and done with quickly if she played it right. Stare at some pretty dresses, make some impressed noises, buy a shirt or two and then get the hell out of there as quickly as possible and go get a milkshake or a sundae or something. If it was one thing about being a girl that she did like, it was not caring what anyone thought of her eating stuff like ice cream, and she could still score free food when she wanted to; her experiences so far hadn't soured that ability of hers yet.

She started stripping almost as soon as the bathroom door closed behind her, shivering at the chilly nip that tingled through her. Maybe a nice hot shower would help settle her a bit; it certainly didn't sound like a bad idea. Just imagining the feel of the hot needle-like spray of water against her bare flesh almost made her feel a little better; hopefully the real thing would be even better.

Ranma sighed and was about to throw her pajama bottoms in the laundry basket when something odd caught her eye. She paused for a second before bringing the pants up for a closer inspection. Her wide blue eyes blinked in confusion...

...Then they widened dramatically.

…

…

…

Nodoka hummed softly as she flowed from one counter to another with the fluid grace of someone that knew where everything was at any given time in her kitchen. It was her domain. In the living room, Genma sat at the low level table quietly eating his breakfast, watching the morning news with the sun flooding in through the open flung doors. Nodoka sighed, it was like all the things that had happened recently had happened years ago or maybe like it was something out of a story.

It was a beautiful, peaceful day...

...and then the ear piercing, blood curdling scream cut through the house.

Nodoka's hand slipped and nearly cut herself with the long sharp knife in the other hand while Genma nearly turned the table upside down with his startled jump, fumbling quickly to keep his mug and bowl from spilling over. Both of them got to the stairs as Ranma came charging down at the same time, with her pajamas pulled hastily on, her entire body pale and trembling in genuine terror as her eyes darted from one parent to the other.

"Ihavtagototehhaspitlenow!" the words spilled out of the horrified teenager in a gibberish mess of poorly contained fright.

Ranma was about to bolt for the door when Nodoka grabbed her by the shoulders and made her stop and stared directly at her, her own heart hammering fast and hard in fear and panic from the contagious terrified expression in her daughters eyes.

"Ranma, slow down!" she fixed the girl's gaze with her own, motioning for her to take a deep breath. "Now, tell us what's wrong."

Slowly this time but no less urgently, Ranma replied. "I have to go to the hospital, there's something wrong inside of me."

Nodoka frowned, fear slowly giving way to confusion. "What do you mean? Just calm down and explain what's wrong dear."

Ranma suddenly looked much younger than she was, helpless and afraid as she swallowed a thick lump in her throat and in a strained voice said. "I'm bleeding...down there!"

In a single instant it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Nodoka blinked and stared at the seventeen year old in silence, time seeming to freeze around them; then, like flood gates on a damn all the fear and tension drained out of her with rush of a relief. As Genma, suddenly red faced and looking awkward coughed, turned and started away, she put a hand to her chest and felt the rapid pulses of her heart pounding inside her chest and half laughed.

"Oh Ranma, don't do that to me, you almost scared me half to death!"

Ranma stared at her mother in drop dead disbelief, looking from her mother to her retreating father like they had gone insane.

"What are you talking about? I have to go to the hospital now!" her young voice rose to a shrill high panicked pitch.

Nodoka cocked her head sideways slightly in confused amusement at the girl's outburst. "Ranma there's no need to go to the hospital, you're perfectly fine. You're just having your period dear."

Ranma however only stared at her blankly; with a creeping sense of realization, Nodoka's expression melted into concern.

"You do know what a period is don't you dear?"

Forgetting for a moment why she was so panicked, Ranma frowned deeply in thought and shrugged. "Yeah, I asked pops about it when I was a kid, but what does it have to do with..." Ranma paused and groaned, then turned and shot her retreating father seething look. "Oh you good for nothing bastard! You lied to me didn't you!"

A vein suddenly appeared along the side of Nodoka's forehead, pulsing lightly as Genma froze in mid step, almost having made it out of the hallway to safety.

"Oh, due tell," she replied, narrowing her eyes at her nervous husband.

Ranma thought back. "Well..."

...

**About Ten Years Ago**

...

A much younger Ranma wondered back into the pathetic shamble of a camp that served as home for the time being. The young boy couldn't have been more than seven, frowned in thought, confused. His father, who was busy sorting out their packs noticed it almost immediately.

"What's the matter Ranma?" he asked, the only time he had seen Ranma looking so confused was when he had to decide what he was going to eat.

Little Ranma looked at his father and asked. "What's a period?"

Genma choked suddenly as he took a gulp of watch and spluttered violently like a drowning man. He was caught completely off guard. "Where did you hear that word?"

Ranma shrugged, a little unsettled by his father's reaction. "I was practicing my kata in the park like you told me to and I heard to ladies talking about their periods. Why, is it a bad word?"

Genma's mind spun in rapid circles; sensing immediately that he couldn't simply ignore the question - as Ranma would only keep pestering him - he glanced around shiftily, as if expecting someone to be hanging around listening. Finally he motioned for the little boy to sit next to him on the log and a took a deep breath.

"Ranma my boy I'm going to explain something very important so listen well," he said it so seriously as he adjusted his glasses. "Once a month, a different time for each woman, something happens that causes all women past a certain age to turn into demons!"

Little Ranma's eyes widened in innocent fear.

"Now," Genma continued. "When this happens my boy, run! You run as fast and as far as you can because no martial artist is powerful enough to content with that terrifying power and never mention that word again, it can bring misfortune upon you!"

...

...

...

Nodoka violently whacked Genma over the head, eye twitching furiously at him. She hissed in contempt. "Men!"

"This isn't my fault." Genma cowered.

Nodoka glared dangerously. "I agreed to let you take Ranma on that ridiculous training journey because you promised to make sure she would still get a proper education. You promised me, that Ranma wouldn't _just_be learning martial arts."

"I enrolled her in schools! I made sure she went" he protested helplessly. "Besides I thought it was best she learnt about that _stuff_ in health class!"

She folded her arms and gave him the most disapproving glare she could manage. "You mean _you_ didn't want to talk about that _stuff_!"

"What is going on!"

Both Nodoka and Genma turned to see Ranma, hands balled in tightly clenched fists and her entire body shaking, her eyes were blazing blue pools of confusion, fear and irritation all mixed together. All at once Nodoka felt her annoyance at Genma flow to the back of her mind; there were more important things to be thinking about at the moment than criticizing his parenting skills. Looking at Ranma now though, standing there expecting answers from her she realized that she herself suddenly felt unsure and nervous. She had never prepared herself to have to have this talk with the teenager. Had Ranma been born a girl she realized, it would only have been a matter of time and she would have been ready for that. But, Ranma hadn't been born a girl though and at nearly eighteen she should have already known.

There was one thing she was sure of though…..

…..This wasn't going to be easy…..

Taking a deep breath, she delicately took Ranma by the hand and started to lead her out of the room. "Ok, let's go sit down and I'll explain…"

…

…

…

A few minutes later, a distressed screech ripped across Nerima.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN EVERY MONTH!"

…..

…..

…..

…..

…..

Akane sighed as she walked along the street, breathing deep the clean fresh air and weathering the crisp breeze that chilled her clothing against her flesh. Despite the nip in the air it was a wonderful bright day and after everything that had happened recently it was a nice change of pace from the murky snow laden clouds of the weeks past. She was determined today was going to be a good day though; if not for herself and Ukyo, than for Ranma at least.

Despite her change in attitude since the whole incident with Yukino, Ranma had done very little in the last couple of weeks aside from when she absolutely needed to, and she needed to have some fun they had decided; although, she imagined Ranma had a very different opinion about how much fun it was going to be.

She remembered back when Cologne had inflicted the _cat's tongue_ pressure point on Ranma and they had gone to the festival. Ranma hadn't wanted to go and she certainly didn't want to have fun either, but in spite of herself she did and in the end it had other benefits for her that she hadn't expected. Maybe if she could get the red head back in that same frame of mind history might repeat itself.

Maybe if Ranma pretended to have fun, she might actually start to have some real fun…

"Akane!"

She looked up to see Ukyo coming from the other opposite direction smiling and obviously excited. The Okonomiyaki chef looked like a fresh burst of sunshine. She would never figure the girl out. For nearly two years Ukyo and Shampoo had made life a constant living hell for herself and for Ranma with all their schemes and attempts to steal him for themselves respectively. They should have been more devastated than they were over Ranma's situation, perhaps even more so in Ukyo's case since she had spent most of her life knowing she should be the one to marry him.

Yet here they were, about to have a girl's day out with Ranma…

….Life in Nerima never ceased to confound her.

"You're in good spirits," Akane smiled in amusement.

Ukyo grinned. "I'm just looking forward to doing something normal for a change. Our crazy adventures are fun and all, but sometimes its good just to spend the day out with friends and having fun; and if I just happen to expand my, largely unused wardrobe in the process then so be it."

Akane couldn't argue with that logic.

"I still can't believe we managed to convince Ranma to go with us," Ukyo added as they turned a corner. "That's what the power of persistence gets you."

Akane smirked as they walked; Ukyo was right, only in this case persistence was a near middle aged housewife that was also one of the scariest women they had ever met in their entire lives. If it hadn't been for the fact that Mrs. Saotome had been around to _convince_ Ranma to agree to go with them, Ukyo would still be trying to wear the red head. She knew Ranma would have sooner smashed her own head against a brick wall than agree to go shopping for anything other than food.

When they got to the Saotome residence they let themselves in, politely removed their shoes and continued on into the living room where they found Ranma sitting with her mother. Akane flinched at the noticeable quiet and heavy tension that hung in the air like laundry on a clothes line; a quick glance at Ukyo revealed the chef was filling the same thing. When they got closer - taking careful measured steps - they saw much to their surprise a variety of feminine hygiene products laid out neatly on the table. Ranma's face looked like was about to catch on fire it was so red.

Akane was so confused she didn't know what to ask first...

Fortunately, Ukyo beat her to it. "Er... what's going on?"

Ranma jumped and nearly yelped in surprise, turning and noticing them for the first time. The panic and embarrassment in her wide blue gems would have been comical if it wasn't so startling. The only time she had ever seen Ranma react with anything ever bordering close to this was when, after hitting her head a couple of years ago and believing she really was a girl, had pulled a pair of her own boxers out of the dirty laundry and nearly had a heart attack from embarrassment. The only difference this time, was that the expression was more severe, more powerful.

While Ranma was tripping over her own words, her mother took matters into her own hand. "Everything is fine, she's just having her first period."

Ranma choked at the bluntness with which her mother said it, her face reddening even further, mortified. "Mom!"

Nodoka patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Its ok dear, it isn't anything they don't already know about. Its nothing to be embarrassed about."

That was of obvious little comfort to the teenager as she buried her face in her hands, murmuring mournfully. "I wanna die..."

It was rare to see Ranma distressed over anything, but something out of her control, something she couldn't defeat with her feet and fists was another matter entirely. Seeing her distressed though was somewhat distressing in its own way; Nodoka must of have been feeling the same thing and took one of Ranma's hands, gently squeezing it.

"I understand that its a lot to take in all at once, especially in your case, but its nothing to frightened of either," her mother told her.

For a brief second there was a flash of the defiant pride in the young red head's eyes as she prickled noticeably. "I am not scared of _anything_."

"Except cats," Ukyo added mercilessly, only to stagger back a couple of cautious steps when Ranma shot her a dangerous scathing look.

Nodoka placed a calming hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Why don't you go and have a shower and get ready. I think the best thing you can do is go out and try to relax. Sitting around here all day being mad and sulking isn't going to do you any good."

The look in Ranma's eyes said she didn't entirely agree with her mother's opinion, but nevertheless she got up without a word and started to walk away. She'd gone barely more than two feet before her mother cleared her throat pointedly to get her attention. When she turned around, her mother was holding a feminine pad out for her. Ranma took a long measured look at it, glanced at Akane and Ukyo, back at the pad and clenched her jaw tightly. Abruptly she snatched it out of her mother's hand and stormed off, muttering incoherently to herself.

Akane was torn between being concerned, and being amused. She glanced worriedly at Nodoka and asked. "Um...will she be ok?"

Nodoka just smiled calmly. "She'll be fine dear, once she lets it all sink in."

…..

…..

…..

…..

…..

Ranma stared ahead with a deep seething frown as she trailed behind her two friends, slowly munching on a chunk of melon bread. The streets of Tokyo were busy as usual; a sea of faces that parted around the three of them like leafs around a Masamune blade. She stared sourly with hardened baby blue gems; god she felt humiliated and was angry at herself, embarrassed by her own reaction. _Have to go to the hospital,_ she scoffed inwardly, what a ridiculous thing to say. Damn her father for not telling her the truth and damn herself for not paying attention in class. What else wasn't she ready for? Just how unprepared was she really because of her laziness?

Demons!

She'd show that old fool a demon he'd never forget for the rest of his pathetic miserable life!

Ranma adjusted her pants self consciously, grimacing. Her eyes would scan the faces of those around her, expecting them to be staring at her crotch, even though she knew _it_ wasn't noticeable; she had spent almost half an hour standing in a mirror checking herself over and over again just to make sure it didn't show. Wearing it felt weird though and it played upon the paranoid part of her brain.

"Ranma," she stopped and looked up to see Akane had stopped as well and was looking at her patiently. "Stop fidgeting."

Ranma clenched her jaw tight and hissed irritably. "It feels weird damnit!"

"You'll get used to it," Ukyo added unsympathetically. "Eventually."

Ranma grumbled doubtfully. "I don't like it."

Akane sighed in exasperation and turned to Ukyo. "Do you ever wonder if the universe has a sense of humor?"

Ukyo chuckled in agreement and it didn't take a genius for Ranma to figure out that that jab was aimed at her specifically. She glared impotently at them, searching for something to retort with, but finding nothing she just continued to glare and returned to eating her melon bread in silent suffering, taking comfort from the tasty snack she had picked up after they got off the train.

Akane shook her head disapprovingly. "Ranma do you know how many calories are in those things? They're not good for you."

"I don't care, they taste good," she replied and petulantly took a chunk of bread off. "Besides, it doesn't matter how much I eat, I never put on weight."

The temperature around her seemed to drop in an instance; goose bumps raced across her flesh and she shivered at the cold tickle that ran up her spin to the base of her neck as Akane and Ukyo suddenly glared hatefully at her. She swallowed nervously and took a couple of steps backwards wearily.

"Where should we go first?" Ukyo asked eventually, deciding to change the subject.

"We could go home," Ranma offered seriously, but was ignored as her two former fiancé's talked amongst themselves.

"What about a movie then?" Akane eventually suggested after some discussion between the two. "There's one playing in about an half an hour we could catch, that's suppose to be really good. Then we can get some lunch and do some shopping when its over."

"That sounds good," Ukyo agreed. "What do you think Ranma?"

Ranma sighed and shrugged, defeated. "Whatever."

What was the point of arguing with them? They were just going to drag her along anyway, kicking and screaming if need be and between the two of them they were probably more than capable of it. It was easier to go with the flow at this point, and at the very least she would be in a dark theater where no one would be able to stare at her. She could have a few peaceful hours to her thoughts and she wouldn't have these two badgering her at least. The allure of hot buttery popcorn goodness she admitted to herself was a delicious bonus too…. Her mouth was nearly watering already; so much so that it was a struggle to stop herself from licking her lips in anticipation.

They had to pick up the pace to a near a jog to make it to the cinema with time to spare and there was already a lengthy line waiting for the movie Akane and Ukyo wanted to see. Ranma narrowed her eyes almost as immediately; something wasn't right… she couldn't quite place her finger on it as she scanned the faces of the people waiting to go in. It was definitely something, she could feel it; instincts perfectly honed over the years gnawed at the interior of her stomach and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end with unease as she watched the countless couples wai–

Ranma froze, alarm bells were suddenly screaming in her head and she whirled around, glaring accusingly at her two fiancés.

"This is a chick flick!" she hissed.

"Wow, that didn't take her long," Ukyo had an amused twinkle in her eyes.

Ranma prickled irritably. "I am not going to sit through some stupid lovey dovey movie."

Akane rolled her eyes like a mother dealing with a petulant child. "It's not a _'girly'_ movie Ranma. It's a movie about a Samurai torn between duty and love. There's just as much action in it as there is in other movies, this one just has more of a story to it that's all. I promise, I picked this movie because I knew there'd be something in it that you'd liked as well. Please, I promise it won't be as bad as you think."

Ranma grounded her teeth through a deep measured breath. She glanced at the line of happy couples and a few small groups of young women waiting, and then back at Akane and Ukyo. They stared back at her expectantly, waiting for her answer patiently as she considered her situation. Really it wasn't going to kill her to at least give it a chance, she supposed, after all she had come this far with them, and it was just a movie after all.

"Fine," She sighed. "But if this turns into two hours of the same old predictable and ridiculous crap in all those other stupid romance movies yah all watch, I'm out of here you got that."

Ukyo put her hands on her hips and arched an eye brow at her. "And what's wrong with those movies?"

Ranma was about to reply, when she realized it wasn't really a question so much as it was a challenge. She looked away suddenly. "Um…nothing…I'm gonna get some popcorn before the movie starts."

She was stopped in mid step however as a hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze, catching the red head by surprise. She frowned and glanced up at the arrogantly smirking face of a young man with hair that looked like he had just gotten out of a shower. "Well sight just breaks my heart; three beautiful young women all alone with no boyfriends to enjoy a movie with."

"Excuse me?" Ranma nearly snarled, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. "Who the hell are you?"

Undeterred, the young man's smile remained unchanged, like he hadn't heard her. "It would be my honor if you let me buy your tickets."

"I don't think so," Akane replied dryly. "We'll pay for own tickets."

"Yeah, we're fine by ourselves thank you," Ukyo added calmly, but with an unyielding hardness to her wide brown eyes.

The young man shrugged and suddenly slipped an arm around Ranma's waist and pulled her closer, holding on to her like they were old friends. Then his hand dropped to fondle her butt.

"Well then how about you a–ARGGGH!"

With a powerful squeeze and a twist of his hand, Ranma forced the presumptuous arrogant bastard to his knees, twisting his wrist violently and bending the whole hand back to near breaking point. She stared down at his trembling pale, fear twisted face with cold fury blazing in her hard merciless blue orbs.

"Is this what you like to do for fun?" she sneered. "Go around to movie theaters preying on lonely girls that you can manipulate just for kicks? I should snap your hand off you damn pervert," she leant closer, so that her face was hovering just centimeters from his. "You know I can right? All it would take is just a little twitch and..."

She trailed off as she applied a little more pressure, careful not to actually break the delicate bones, but enough that he let a high pitch yelp escape through his lips.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll leave you alone," he cried desperately.

Ranma growled very slightly. "Get out of here, before I change my mind. And if I ever see you again, I won't be so generous!"

She let go of his hand and he scrambled backwards like a scared rabbit, eyes darting back and forth over the crowd of onlookers; at sea of scornful women that stared him down with evil eyes, and the amused expressions of men that were nearly on the verge of laughing at his plight. With a final glance at Ranma, the young men jumped to his feet and ran out of the cinema lobby without so much as looking back over his shoulder. Almost at once the movie goers waiting around the lobby started broke into an applause. Ranma's furious expression quickly melted into one of barely contained laughter as she turned, clearly satisfied and grinned mischievously at Akane and Ukyo.

"I think I understand what pops meant about demons now."

…

…

…

The popcorn tasted even more delicious than Ranma thought it would; the warm buttery morsels melted in her mouth and were washed down with a good helping of soda. The cinema was dark and relatively quiet, save for the movie itself and the almost rhythmic munching of food from all around. The entire theatre vibrated with sound that poured forth from the powerful surround-sound speakers, the music and every shout, cry, laugh or clash of sword and sound effects were felt, vibrating through her small body. The red head would even admit - reluctantly - that the movie wasn't too bad either, despite the agonizingly drawn out romantic plot.

And, even that wasn't too bad.

She'd sooner choke on her own fist than willingly admit that to anyone though. Even still, her entire life was like some damn martial arts movie, filled with constant fights and battles against much stronger enemies she would eventually find some way of overcoming. The thought of paying to watch someone pretend to know what that life was like didn't really appeal to her much either, but then again movies and tv in general didn't appeal that much to her. Probably because she had spent so much of her life on the move, never spending as much time around the so called _idiot box_ as other did. All in all she supposed it was a good change of pace from the usual relentlessness of her everyday life.

Even if her everyday life was more interesting…

She cautiously glanced sideways at Akane; Ukyo was just on the other side of the dark haired Tendo sister. She wouldn't let them know that she didn't mind it though, otherwise would think it was an open invitation to coerce her into watching more.

"_Rukia, it isn't safe for you here," _the handsome samurai insisted desperately to the beautifully and royally dressed young woman in an elaborately long flowing kimono, fiercely gripping her hands in his. _"Please, I can't bear to lose you."_

She smiled warmly into his eyes. _"I can't run from this any more than you can. It's as much my duty to stand my ground here as it is yours. Whatever happens my love, we will face it together."_

Ranma felt the heat rise in her cheeks and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the couple embraced each other, locked in a deep and passionate kiss, which quickly degenerated into intimate love making as the pair gave into their desire for one another. The red head swallowed dryly as she watched, trying to remain impassive, but her heart started to beat faster, hammering away relentlessly at the inside of her chest.

When she blinked, she was no longer in the cinema, surrounded by people and sound and the smells of food...

She was back in the forest; _staring into those deep green eyes._

_She couldn't tear herself away from those eyes, those wide confused green eyes filled with such incredible sadness and strength. She felt trapped in them, frozen in the moment as her hands gently cupped his cheeks and drew herself closer and captured his lips with her own. She felt him tense with alarm beneath her, but he made no move to stop her. She felt his heart race in time with hers, the beat of his pulse, and the taste of his lips against her own. Everything else around her disappeared in an instance; there was just the two of them._

_His hands were clasped firmly on her waist, just above her hips and she could feel his rock hard muscles of his chest through the oversized shirt she was wearing. He radiated a primal strength that engulfed her like a shield. She didn't want him to ever let go of her…_

_Slowly her arms trailed down until they were wrapped around the back of his neck, pressing herself harder against him;_ and then her eyes opened and she was back in the cinema...

It took a couple of seconds for her brain to catch up, eyes widening as she stared at the screen that stretched from wall to wall before her wide blue gems darted back and forth in barely contained confused alarm. Her heart was racing and her face felt like it was on fire, fingers' gripping the arm rests like claws ready to shred the dark leather. Her entire body was tense, like a tightly coiled snake and she was breathing so heavily she was nearly panting, nearly hyperventilating, trying to catch her breath. Inwardly she was screaming, just managing to keep it from escaping past her lips.

She snuck a glance from the corner of her eye to see if Akane had noticed, but her ex-fiance didn't look like her eyes had left the screen at all. Ranma sighed in relief for that small mercy. She didn't relish the idea of explaining why she looked like she was suddenly going to catch on fire.

She squirmed uncomfortably, struggling not bolt out of her seat right there and then. It was only with a great deal of effort that she managed to keep herself seated, all the while trying to calm her frantic heart, trembling all over at the alien emotions that prodded at her insides.

Ranma squeezed her eyes shut and silently cursed.

It was almost another hour before the movie ended, and when it did, she couldn't get out of her seat fast enough. She weaved through the mass of people and race through the lobby, bursting through the doors out into the fresh air. She sucked in great lungfuls of air, hunched over and using the wall behind her for support. Her legs felt like wet noodles, barely keeping her standing. With each breath though she felt more and more of the panic and waves of confusion slowly receding into the background of her mind; though they still lingered ominously in the shadows.

"Ranma?"

She looked up at the sound of Akane's voice to see the two girls. They stared at her with a strange mix of confusion and worry. Ranma felt a brief surge of panic, wondering how she was going to explain rushing out of the cinema the way she had. In hindsight she knew she could have gotten up and left the cinema more calmly, but she had barely made it through the rest of the movie as it was.

Akane and Ukyo seemed a little taken aback when they looked at her. "Ranma, are you ok? You look really flushed in the face."

"Yeah," Ukyo added. "And you ran out of there like a cat was chasing you."

Ranma felt the gears in her brain spin out of control. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two girls, trying to think of something to say. "I…..ah… I felt sick…. I think it was popcorn on top of the melon bread. I'm ok now, I just needed some fresh air."

She hoped against hope that that would be enough to satisfy their concern; gods knew she had stuffed herself with enough food and soda to make a normal person sick.

"I told you, you shouldn't eat those things," Ukyo said in that irritating _I told you so _type of voice.

Ranma felt a surge of relief; they believed her.

Then, she looked at Akane and realized the dark haired teenager was staring at her with scrutinizing eyes.

Ranma swallowed uneasily and decided to change the subject.

"Let's get out of here."

…..

…

…

….

…..

The day so far had been good; for Akane and Ukyo at least. The two of them were flanked on either side by a number of bags. They had already brought a great many things that they fussed over even after buying them. Ranma though still hadn't brought a single thing. This hadn't gone unnoticed by either of Akane or Ukyo. Akane was worried about the quiet red head; she had barely said a thing all day and after the incident at the cinema she had been even quieter and more withdrawn. She couldn't tell if the girl was distracted or just plain bored. Either way she couldn't help but feel a certain pang of annoyance at herself…

This day had been about helping Ranma relax, and having a good time. Ranma deserved it as much as any of them after everything she had been through. Part of her felt like she had let her down, but really perhaps the whole idea had been stupid to begin with. They knew this wasn't Ranma's thing.

At the same time though she sensed there was something more going on then just being bored.

She had pretended not to noticed, but she had glanced over at the red head near the end of the movie during one of the more _steamier _parts of the movie and the girl looked like she wasn't even there. Ranma had had a strangely intense and far away look in her eyes as she stared at the movie. It had shocked her even more when she looked down at the girl's hands and saw that they looked like they were about to rip the arm rests off the seat, her popcorn half finished and forgotten along with her soda.

She hadn't brought her ex-fiancé's excuse about storming out of the cinema, and she wasn't entirely sure Ukyo had either, but she there was something in the girl's eyes and tone that kept her from pushing for more information. The last thing any of them wanted to do was push Ranma too far too quickly, not after all of the progress she had made lately.

Even now she could see the red head was off in that far away place. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her mind, what she was thinking about.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked eventually.

Ranma blinked a couple of times before her bright blue eyes focused on her and blinked a few more times to clear the obvious cobwebs from her mind. "Ah, yeah. My stomach's settled down a lot. I think I just needed some fresh air."

Akane resisted the urge to narrow her eyes in suspicion. She knew there was more going on than Ranma was letting on, but she'd be damned if she knew what that was. If it was one thing she had learned in the couple of years that she had known Ranma it was that if the red head didn't want to talk about something, she wasn't going to. She just knew there was something on Ranma's mind that she didn't want to talk about and doubted it had anything to do with having her first period.

Whatever it was though, she was going to have to wait until Ranma was ready to talk about it, and not before.

…

Ranma frowned inwardly at the curious twinkle in Akane's eyes. She knew that look all to well. It meant she suspected something but had the good taste not to pry. The only comfort she drew from that was that Akane couldn't possibly know what was going on, of course that had never stopped the girl from butting her nose in where it wasn't wanted before. Perhaps though she knew that this was something she was better of not prying too hard into.

Ukyo on the other hand, she knew was much more lik–

All at once her eyes almost bugged out of her mind as the waitress approached the booth carrying three sundaes on a serving tray. Ranma immediately felt her mouth begin to salivate at the sight of the hot chocolate fudge covered mountain of ice cream as it was placed in front of her. She licked her lips, snatched a spoonful out of the glass with her incredible speed, the heaping of ice cream disappearing down her gullet in the blink of an eye.

She closed her eyes and mmm'd with great satisfaction, savoring the flavors as they lingered on her tongue and at the back of her throat. When she opened them Akane and Ukyo were staring at her in amusement.

"What?" she demanded.

Ukyo shrugged. "It's nothing. It's just that if we knew ice cream was all it took to make you happy we would have drowned you in waaaaaaaaaaay sooner than this."

Akane giggled. "By the way, you have some on your nose."

Ranma's eyes crossed comically, focusing on the dollop of ice cream on the end of her nose. Without hesitation she cleaned it off with a single swipe of her tongue, and then grinned cat-like at the two girls who laughed and shook their heads. She stuck her tongue out at them playfully and went back to her precious ice cream.

"You're incorrigible," Ukyo added before turning her attention on her own sundae which like Akane's was a much smaller one than Ranma's.

Ice cream had always had a way of cheering her up. She had always been too embarrassed by the extravagant presentation of them, too embarrassed at least to have one in her male form at least. Some part of her had always associated sundaes and ice cream in general as something only girls could or should eat. So, her curse had been a blessing in that regard at least, being able to indulge herself whenever she wanted without feeling guilty about it afterwards.

Now she couldn't help but wonder what the big deal had been and felt stupid for denying herself something that tasted great simply because it looked too… flamboyant and didn't fit with her precious manly image.

Gods she had been so stupid…

As she dug into her own sundae she stole curious glances at her two ex-fiancés, and felt a guilty tug at her insides. It wouldn't kill her to try and enjoy herself, if for nothing else than for the two of them. She wasn't stupid, she knew they were just trying to help her have a good time and she would admit to herself that it was good spending time with them. It felt like forever since she had spent any considerable amount of time with either of them. Lunch breaks at school not withstanding.

It just didn't seem like enough time now, and it didn't help that since becoming trapped in her female form her friendship with what few male friends she had school had changed drastically; that much couldn't be denied. She didn't like the way they looked at _her_, the way all the guys looked at her. She didn't blame them; after all it wasn't like they hadn't made their attraction to her girl form known before. That didn't change the fact that it was disconcerting. Bitterly she came to realize that her curse was probably one of the only reasons they ever hung out with her; that and if they ever got into trouble she'd be able to protect them and given the nature of Nerima that wasn't exactly an unlikely possibility. Even still, it had changed things no matter how much they pretended otherwise and it left her an ever decreasing social circle, since many of the girls at the school were still somewhat weary of her.

Akane and Ukyo though – and even Shampoo from time to time when Cologne didn't have running all over Nerima – had been her rocks in the last few weeks, always there if she needed them, sometimes even when she didn't want them to be. While she didn't want to go on this _'girl's day out'_ – especially after this morning's fiasco – part of her was glad she did. It wasn't exactly the way she would have liked it to have turned out, but it was nice being able to spend time with them without Akane and Ukyo arguing with one another or Akane overreacting and getting mad at her for something stupid. This was how it should be, just three friends having a good time and no troubles.

Who was she to take that away from them? It certainly wasn't going to kill her to try and have fun…

Inwardly she frowned, troubled.

It would be so much easier though to try and have some fun if she didn't have that damn…_dream_, hanging over her head like some dark and ominous cloud. She didn't know how to deal with the constant storm of emotion boiling away inside of her. It worried her, more than she really wanted to admit.

They were confusing and she didn't know how to deal with them.

Glancing at the two of them, she wondered if she should just tell them about the dream; but how would they react? It wasn't exactly fair, given her past with them and she barely wanted to think about _it_ herself, let alone talk about it with two girls she knew were prone to overreacting over silly little things. She shuddered at the thought of how they would react to _this_!

Holding it all in though, holding in all of the memories she had gotten back from when she was suffering the fever, after conquering Yukino's brainwashing, all the feelings and images in her head left her cold and knotted inside. The image of the 'Guardian' twisting in slow motion as she pushed him out into empty air and the look of unimaginable terror and surprise on his face send shivers through her and made her stomach churn. She would never be rid of that memory; it would always be with her. She was just thankful it wasn't that memory that kept haunting her dreams every night.

Her only consolation was that he would have killed them without a second thought and she couldn't let him do to Ryoga what he had done to her…

….Her mind stagger at the sudden thought of _him_, and she felt her cheeks start to burn as an image of him flashed in her mind.

Gods she hoped Akane and Ukyo didn't notice.

Much to her relief they hadn't, or if they did they pretended not to, they just continued eating their sundaes in silence and she returned to her thoughts. It definitely wasn't healthy for her to keep all this stuff in; at this rate she was going to drive herself insane…

Almost as soon as she finished her first sundae, Ranma quickly ordered another. She was never satisfied with just one; meanwhile Akane and Ukyo were each still finishing off their first. She was half way through her second helping when Ukyo suddenly pushed her empty bowl away and stood up with a determined gleam burning in her eyes. Ranma looked up at her in surprise, caught off guard.

"Ok, that's enough resting! We've still got plenty of shopping left to do before we have to catch the train back and I think it's about time we found something for Ran-chan as well," she announced with a firm tone that left no room for argument.

Before Ranma could even react the Okonomiyaki chef had grabbed her by one wrist, grabbed up her own shopping bags and yanked the red head out of the booth As Akane grabbed the other wrist. Before she knew what was happening the two of them were practically dragging her out of the ice cream parlor; all she could do was stared back at the table and cry futilely.

"But my sundae!"

…..

…

…

….

…...

Ranma stood in nothing but her bra and panties, staring helplessly at the mountain of clothes before her, dumped on a chair in the changing room by Akane and Ukyo, and sighed heavily. She didn't want to try on all this stuff. This was the whole bra fiasco with her mother all over again when she had been pretending to be 'Ranko.' She'd rather be back in the ice cream parlor finishing off her sundae than trying on stupid clothes she would never buy! Whatever the fascination was that women had with trying on clothes or how much time they could spend looking at them, she would never understand. After all, they were just clothes for crying out loud!

She pulled out a dress near the top of the pile that had that was salmon pink with frills and giant purple spots all over and puffy shoulders. The fact that it was a dress was bad enough, but why anyone would wear something so horrendous to look at was beyond her, let alone why anyone would design something so hideous in the first place. Why Akane or Ukyo thought she would even think of trying something like that on was a mystery in itself. It made her shudder to think what else the two of them were going to come back with before they let her get out of this place.

She threw it aside with a disgusted snort of distaste.

With reluctance she picked up a shirt and modeled it against herself in the mirror, halfheartedly picturing herself wearing it. At least it wasn't underwear they had her trying on. She was still getting used to wearing female underwear as it was. Still she knew she was going to have to buy something since her mother was expecting her to come home with a new selection of clothes. Her mother had even made sure she would have enough money to buy a few things. Ranma didn't understand what the big problem was; so she wore the same outfit for more than a day, it wasn't like it was hurting anyone!

She sighed again; being a girl was complicated.

On the bright side at least she got to pick her own clothes this time. Not her mother and not Kasumi; though she sooner not go through the hassle of having to pick them. The last time she had gone shopping for clothes with Akane it had been when she cracked her head on the koi pond and thought she really was a girl; she had ended up with a dress that Kasumi wouldn't let her get rid of or take back to get her sister's money back. In retrospect that day could have turned out a lot worse than what it had. She was lucky she had only brought a dress, that she would reluctantly admit… …she looked cute in… …

With all the energy of someone being forced to do something they really didn't want to do, Ranma slipped on a long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged all the right curves in all the right places. Her arms lazily crossed across the top of her head, she appraised herself in the mirror and smirked; some competitive part of her mind couldn't help but feel a little smug knowing she had a body a lot of girls would kill for. For some reason she couldn't help but feel proud about that.

…Even if it had caused her no end of trouble in the last couple of years.

"Ranma!"

The sudden bang against the door and Akane's shout made her yelped in alarm and whirl around, dropping her arms in embarrassment like she had almost been caught doing something she shouldn't.

"Ranma, you ok?" came Akane's voice again.

"Eh…I'm fine!" she stammered nervously.

"Well open up, we found something you're really gonna want to try on," Ukyo demanded urgently.

Ranma rolled her eyes as she unlatched the lock and opened the door. "I highly doubt th–"

The words froze on her tongue and her breath caught in her throat as the door opened all the way and she saw what it was that Akane and Ukyo were so excited about. She was staring at her old long sleeved, white cuffed red martial arts jacket complete with the black pants and belt sash, the same outfit that had been obliterated along with her male body. No, it wasn't the same obviously, but it looked almost identical; well, almost identical except for the fact that these clothes had an obvious feminine cut to them. The cuffs at the end of the sleeves on this jacket weren't as wide for instance, designed with a size of a woman's wrist in mind rather than a man's like her old one had been, the ties reached all the way down to the end of the jacket and the sash was wider, longer and a different material, something finer that she didn't recognize.

All she could do was stare, something inside of her shaken in a way she couldn't explain. It was just a shirt and a pair of pants, something so mundane that it shouldn't have affected her, but it did. It was like staring an old friend she hadn't seen years and the feelings of joy and apprehension that followed. Joy at the familiarity and apprehension at what might be different…

"H….how…?" Ranma stuttered. "I brought the other one in China."

"Does it matter?" Ukyo pointed out.

"Well come on," Akane laughed excitedly, shoving the outfit into her hands and pushing her back into the change room. "Try it on already!"

Ranma didn't even have time to protest as the changing room door practically slammed shut behind her; not that she would have protested; she was already pulling the other clothes off before the door had even closed fully. Much to her own surprise, she found she was shaking a little, excited and nervous at the same time.

It was silly, but her old outfit, the one that had been destroyed had been a part of her for so long; it had been through some of her toughest battles. Mastering and using the _Hiryu_ _Shoten Ha_ against Happosai to get the cure for the Moxibustion Point; overcoming Ryoga's _Shishi Hokodan_; Against Herb at Mt Horaisan; defeating Ryu Kumon, and _killing_ Saffron to save Akane's life…..That outfit had been through it all with her and suffered just as much as she did. Kasumi had mended it every time to near perfection and it was as much a part of herself her hair or heart.

Until now, seeing the one in Akane's hand she hadn't realized just how much those simple clothes had meant to her… and now, here they were again, seemingly waiting for her…

Part of her was actually scared though… scared that the jacket and pants wouldn't fit, that it would be too tight in the chest, too short under the arms or the pants wouldn't be long enough or the waist too small even for her tiny figure. It was stupid; she knew it was, to be worried over as something as silly as whether or not some clothes were going to fit, but she was. Maybe it was more the fact that she knew she'd be more disappointed than she should be if they didn't.

She scolded herself, _"You're being stupid! They're only clothes!"_

There was a soft but sudden tap at the door that snapped the red head out of her thoughts and made her jump, followed by Akane's concerned voice. "Is everything ok in there?"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, and refocused on the clothes; it was time to stop stalling.

She pulled the pants on first and smiled as they slipped on smoothly, but straight away she noticed the difference from her old pair; these ones hugged her leg almost like a second skin, almost like the tights Ukyo usually wore. She barely spared them a second glance in the mirror as she pulled the jackets on, slipping her arms into the sleeves with unshakeable excited energy; she felt like a little kid opening a present on Christmas morning. She almost laughed in barely contained joy as she started to fasten the jacket ties down the front of her and tied the sash around her waist; it fit perfectly.

In fact it felt even more comfortable than her old one.

Ranma looked up at the mirror and froze, breath catching in her throat as her wide blue gems widened with awe and bewilderment at the image that stared back at her. For a brief second she almost didn't recognize herself.

The jacket conformed to her body like it was tailor made; it came in at the sides hugging her waist, splitting where her hips met her waist and trailing down to mid thigh almost like a loin cloth, with the sash tied securely around her waist and accentuating the fullness of her hips. It tapered under her breasts and slightly pulled around them, empathizing their roundness, while the pants, with their deep black material contrasting against the vibrant red of the jacket closely followed the curves of her butt and legs from hips to calves.

She didn't look like some cute, small stature teenage girl anymore...

She looked... womanly...

It was like almost looking at a completely different person. She was staring at herself, but at the same time it was like looking at a stranger, or someone she hadn't seen for a long time. After so many months of changing, trying to adapt to her situation and accept what had happened, she felt like herself again. She felt that spark of energy growing inside her that she hadn't felt for months. But, at the same time she was a different person, shaped by the events of recent months that had opened her eyes in ways they hadn't been before. She didn't want to be that arrogant, egotistical jerk she used to be anymore.

"Come on Ranma!" Ukyo whined suddenly. "Open up!"

She almost jumped again, so caught off guard by the sight of herself that she had nearly forgotten all about the two of them waiting for her. Almost nervously she unlocked and pushed the door open; as soon as they saw her, both Akane and Ukyo's eyes widened dramatically and their lips parted in a stunned 'O.' Ranma couldn't help but laugh, amused at the looks on their faces as she spun giddily with her arms stretched outright.

"Wow," Akane nearly whispered in awe. "You look amazing."

Ukyo though however held her chin in thought, looking her up and down, before she stepped closer and made her stop. "Just one thing Ran-chan, if you don't mind."

Ranma blinked in confusion, but did nothing as Ukyo calmly undid the horrible looking knot that secured the sash behind her back. The sash was long enough that Ranma had to loop it a few times around herself to use the full length of it, but now Ukyo un-looped it and forcefully turned the confused red head to the side like almost like she was a doll. Quickly she looped it twice around her slim waist and in seconds there was a bow secured tightly above her right with the tails of the sash trailing down from either side of her hip like waterfalls of material.

Ukyo grabbed her by the shoulders and faced her to the mirror in the change room, admiring her handiwork.

"In Kenpo or Kung Fu, which ever you choose to call it," Ukyo explained. "Female martial artists wear their sash on their right hip."

Ranma merely grinned, eyes wide and sparkling; she was happier than she'd been in months.

...

...

...

...

...

The sun was starting to go down when they got off the train at Nerima; splashes of purple stretching across the sky as twilight rapidly approached and the air turning colder as more and more people retreated indoors after a long day. Ranma walked between Akane and Ukyo, a bag of clothes she'd brought to satisfy her mother's wishes slung casually over her shoulder and a half devoured ice cream in the other hand. They were all tired, but at the same time the red head was almost bouncing with an inexhaustible energy. She had decided to wear her new outfit home, to _break it in_; in truth she couldn't bring herself to take it off.

What's more she had even managed to keep her mind off the train wreck of a morning she'd had.

All in all, she had to admit that it had been a great day. Her mother had been right to make her go out; if she had stayed at home she would have only mopped around the house and dojo all day, stewing about something she couldn't change. And, in the end the day had been more rewarding then she could have imagined.

Granted she still wasn't too keen on the whole clothes shopping thing and that was as far as she was willing to go when it came to do _girly_ things; she wasn't going to let them drag her to beauty parlors or any of that stuff. That wasn't her idea of fun. She couldn't deny she'd had fun spending the day with the two of them and she couldn't ask for better friends really. Perhaps she thought as she devoured the rest of the ice cream cone, they could find some sort of middle ground, figure out something they could all enjoy equally.

Not that she had the faintest idea what that might be...

As they walked along, Ranma wasn't paying attention to where she was going and as they rounded the street corner, she crashed bodily into another person. Her entire field of vision filling with mustard yellow as her face squashed into the heavy material and bounced her backwards. She shriek as she fell backwards, arms flailing wildly until a large hand grabbed hers out of mid air and steadied her gently.

She sighed, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I wasn't...watching...wher-"

The words tapered off into a squeak as she found herself staring up at Ryoga. She felt her breath catch at the sight of him, blood rushing to her cheeks till they felt like they were blazing like an inferno; she imagined her face was redder than her hair at that moment. All at once she was swamped by a wave of emotions and images that crashed over her like surf on a beach. Her heart pounded faster and faster until it felt like a jack hammer was trying to break its way through her chest and her throat was suddenly drier than the Sahara. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came as her lips opened and closed uselessly, her brain misfiring as it struggled to catch up.

He looked down at her, stepping back in surprise. "...Ranma?"

She couldn't reply; her brain refused to tell her mouth what to do!

"Ryoga!" Akane exclaimed, oblivious to Ranma's faltering reaction. "What a surprise! We didn't expect to run into you."

"Likewise," Ryoga's reply was strangely quiet and reserved.

Ranma's eyes widened slightly when she realized that his hands and at least one arm was completely and extensively bandaged; she could see the other end of the bandage peaking out from under the neck hole of his jacket. And his eyes, they were dark and lined with weary exhaustion, making her wonder when the last time was that he had actually slept. More over she wanted to know what had happened that had left someone like Ryoga hurt enough that he needed to be patched up in the first place and she wanted to know _who_ had hurt him!

Then he started to glance her way and she looked at the ground as quickly as she could, clamming up again with her heart thumping a million beats per second, her face burning once more and her hands starting to shake and fidget with the strap of the bag clasped between them.

_"what the hell is wrong with you!"_ she screamed inwardly at herself. _"Snap out of it Saotome!"_

Ukyo had also noticed the bandage job. "What happened to you? You look like you lost a fight with a food processor."

Ryoga looked at his own hands as if noticing them for them first time and then with a heavy, almost aching sigh and a shake of his head he replied. "I got into some trouble...that's all."

"That must have been some trouble sugar," Ukyo replied with a frown, perplexed.

"What are you three doing out so late? It's nearly dark," he pointed out as he looked at the rapidly darkening sky, before looking back at them; changing the subject abruptly.

Ranma felt like a trapped animal as she felt his eyes gaze over her and she struggled to get a hold of herself. She didn't dare look him in the eye though, scared of the images that might overwhelm her already fragile brain that felt like it was about to burn out. It was bad enough that the _dream_ hung at the edge of her mind, threatening to consume her like it had in the cinema.

"We decided to get out of here for the day and have some fun. We haven't long got back from the city actually," Akane explained.

"The usual stuff. A Movie, shopping, food, more shopping, more food," Ukyo added cheerily. "We even managed to find a replacement outfit for Ran-chan, see! Doesn't it look great on her?"

Ranma nearly choked as she cried inwardly. _"No! Damn you Ukyo!"_

"...It does," Ryoga agreed suddenly.

Her heart nearly punched a hole through her chest it thumped against it so hard; she could feel him looking straight at her. The last thing she wanted was him looking at her while she was like this; there was no way she could explain herself if one of them asked what was wrong. Why did they have to run into him here and now! Things had been going so well! Now she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide...

"Th...thanks..." she mumbled finally without looking up, nearly losing her voice again as she struggled to remain calm. Then with a great deal of effort she quickly added. "I...I should be getting home, mom will be getting dinner ready..."

Ukyo laughed. "Ranma, you've barely stopped eating all day!"

She ignored that. "Thanks for getting me out of the house. I appreciate it...I'll talk to yahs later! Bye!"

She turned and ran before any of them could stop her, pretending not to hear Akane's call as it came after her and cursing over and over again under her breath as she sprinted through the streets. Her only thought, her only desire was to get home as quickly as possible.

Everything else was too confusing for to focus on anything else.

So she just ran...

She didn't stop until she was home, flying in through the front door and racing upstairs to the safety of her bedroom before her mother couldn't stop and bombard her with questions or anything. She leapt up the stairs in a rush, and stormed into her room. She didn't even bother to turn the lights on. Her heart was racing and she breathed heavily as she sunk to ground, back up against the door, listening to the pounding of her own heart and the blood rushing past her ears.

With an exasperated growl, she banged her head back against the hard wood and closed her eyes helplessly.

"No..." she whispered desperately, as the truth started to dawn upon her. "Please...no."

..._**To Be Continued**_

**...**

**...**

**...**

**A/N: Ok, as I said, this chapter was really exhausting and I tried to bring some comedy to it as well while trying to keep it appropriate to the setting. Additionally I wanted to have Ranma doing some mundane after all the stuff that's happened. Ranma is only human after all and needs to have times out from everyday life just like everyone else.**

**I hope the chapter was enjoyable, I know I had fund writing it, especially the parts that overwhelmed poor Ran-chan XD**

**I knew having Ranma act girly wasn't going to fly, so I decided to have her stumble across something that could at least get her excited. Now I know Ranma isn't the type to get excited over clothes, but in this case it wasn't so much about the outfit so much as what it symbolized. I spent a great deal of time going through the manga and the episodes and for the most part that red jacket with the long sleeves and white cuffs was her most frequently worn outfit, and it had been through almost all of her toughest battles as well. I know there's reasons for that in context of animation and drawing, but I applied some psychological thinking behind it, and personally when I think of Ranma, he/she is wearing that outfit.**

**So I recreated it with some minor differences.**

**As for the "dream," well, more about that will be revealed soon!**

**As I'm sure most of you have already guessed, things are going to start progressing from this point on, though don't assume that its going to be lollipops and rainbows. **

**All I can say is that Ranma still has a rough road ahead of her.**

**Anyway, I'm taking a few days to recoup from this chapter and then I'll be starting on chapter 20, so until then, I hope you enjoyed this one and will still be around for the next!**

**Until next time ^_^**


	21. Chapter 20: Three Terrifying Words Pt 1

**A/N: OMG! I've updated! XD**

**Seriously though I honestly didn't think I was gonna get this chapter done. I was starting to rip my hair out I was getting that frustrated! But here it is at long last _**

**I'll make this A/N short.**

**First, I will be taking some down time from the story for at least a month as NaNo will be starting in approximately 13 days and I need to prepare for that in the time that I have left now that I have this chapter off my mind.**

**Secondly, I hope this chapter goes over well, though I'm sure I might get a couple of complaints here and there about certain things.**

**All I can say is that I've tried to keep the characters inline with how I perceive them and the way I've been playing them out from the beginning of the story.**

**Anyway, with that said I hope you enjoy.**

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Chapter 20

_Those Three Terrifying Words Pt 1_

A low wind whirled through the trees and across the grounds, picking up twirling tails of dirt and dust that spiraled through the air before settling back to the hard packed earth again. The grass swayed and the leaf tipped branches of trees rustled like crate paper. The chill on the wind was belittled by the uncharacteristically bright blue cloudless sky and even bright sun. The dark clouds far in the distance sat on the horizon like a waiting army, a promise that colder, dreary weather was on its way and that winter would not be hindered by this brief respite….

Ranma stared out the class window with a quiet longing sigh as she tried to block out the constant scratching of chalk against the black board that set her teeth on edge and made her skin crawl. The page of her notebook was only partially full of the notes she was meant to be taking; at this rate she was going to have borrow Akane's again. She just couldn't focus on the teacher's monotonous rambling as he scrawled key points across the board, not that she could most of the time but today was worse than normal.

Her jaw tightened as a shiver twitched at the base of her neck.

It was a task, resisting the urge to stop look around for the eyes she felt staring at her, not that she wasn't getting used to it by now. Hardly a day didn't go by at school when she wasn't being stared at, but since she had started coming to school in her new outfit for the past week, the stares had only become more intense. She liked the clothes too much to simply give into the awed looks she received. Many of those were ones of lecherous approval from the guys and looks of annoyed jealousy from other the girls. She would have liked to believe that they were just clothes, but the fact was they weren't and she knew it.

Another week or so and they would get over it though…she hoped.

Her bored, wide blue eyes drifted up to the clock above the blackboard as the clack of chalk suddenly grew louder and the red head stifled another sigh. Forty minutes to go till she was free; may as well have been twenty hours with the way the class seemed to crawl on. The teacher's dry impassionate tone wasn't helping either. Going shopping with Akane and Ukyo was more interesting than this.

The pencil between her powerful but nimble fingers suddenly snapped as Ryoga popped in her head…

Ranma cursed quietly through clenched teeth, grounding her teeth together so hard her jaw started to hurt. She wasn't nearly as quiet as she thought she was though, as some of the others around her turned in curiosity. A quick discouraging glare from those suddenly frigid blues was enough to make them turn straight back around and she quickly retrieved a spare pencil from her bag.

Next to the irritated red head, Akane's brow furrowed in troubled contemplation as she watched her ex-fiancée as she idly jotted down more notes in her notebook. Ranma had been as nervous as a hyperactive flea since their girl's day out a week before. She would admit it had been amusing at first, maybe even a little cute, now it was just plain odd and it was obvious that Ranma wasn't willing to talk about it, much to Akane's frustration.

Even now the red head was zoning in and out when she should have been focusing on listening to the teacher; or, at the very least try. She suppose it was easy to take any other teacher - especially a substitute one at that - lightly after dealing with Miss Hinako so often, but even so it wasn't like Ranma could afford to ignore the lessons altogether. On the other hand, Ranma wasn't the only one on the verge of death by excruciating boredom.

Still for the incorrigible red head to zone out so completely she'd lose control of her considerable strength was another matter altogether. Not many people realized just how strong Ranma was or the amount of concentration and focus it took to keep that strength in check. If Ranma wasn't careful she could kill someone with no more effort than it took a normal person to kill a fly.

She didn't like seeing the red head so troubled though; it was an expression out of place on her face. What was she supposed to do though?

Ranma had put down her pencil again and Akane watched as her eyes glazed over with a distant, far away look; almost the same as the one she'd had in the cinema. She would have loved to have known what was going on in her head; she would have loved to have known what it was that could distract Ranma so completely the way it had. Idly she wondered if it was brain damage from all the hits to the head she had given the red head since they had first met…..

"Are you ok?"

Ranma was jolted out of her own little world and turned to find Akane leaning over from the desk beside her. She blinked a couple of times blankly, slowly realizing she had zoned out again, and felt her cheeks warm rapidly as she tried to ignore the fuzziness in her stomach at the thought of _him_, and having her ex-fiancée scrutinizing her so closely didn't help to stem the sudden surge of panic she felt. With a considerable amount of effort she pushed the panic and distracting thoughts aside and forced a smile across her face for Akane's benefit as she turned to face her, her mind racing for an excuse.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I'm just hungry that's all."

Akane gave her an exasperated look. "You're always hungry."

"Exactly," she flashed a wide grin.

"Miss Saotome!" the red head snapped to attention in alarm to find the teacher glaring at her disapprovingly. "Perhaps you would like to come up here and teach the class, since you seem to know so much about it that you can have a conversation with Miss Tendo instead taking down notes like you're supposed to?"

Ranma held back a smart ass remark that threatened to slip out. "Sorry, r."

The older teacher scowled at her over the rim of his glasses, like a bug that had just crawled over his food. "You should learn to apply yourself more, Miss Saotome. Knowing how to kick someone won't get you anywhere in life."

Ranma felt her cheeks flush with anger and pride at the disdainful way he insultingly dismissed her single greatest love in life. "It'll get me further than being a substitute high school teacher."

There were a few snickers and a couple of gasps as the color drained from the old teacher's weathered features in pure white rage. Akane simply rubbed her eyes and shook her head with a sigh. Ranma merely sat back with her arms crossed across her ample chest, an eye brow arched over one eye daring the teacher. A few seconds later she was standing in the hall holding a bucket of water in each hand.

Worth it.

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Uuchan's Okonomiyaki Restaurant was alive with the noise of sizzling grills and chatty customers, as Ukyo barked orders at her slave of an assistant, Konatsu, who rushed back and forth with utensils and ingredients like a chicken with its head cut off. Ukyo wiped the side of her face with her upper arm, wiping away the sweat collecting there that threatened to trickle down her cheek and along the curve of her jaw; with all the people crammed in the tiny restaurant and all the active hot plates, Uuchan's was hotter than a summer day.

She didn't mind one bit though; it was worth it to see the looks of enjoyment and satisfaction on their faces as they attacked the delicious meal she had trained so hard to perfect. The Cat Café may've been slightly more upscale in comparison, but she knew her smaller establishment pulled in just as much daily business, if not more.

She knew she had the high school students to thank for that. After a long day of tirelessly studying and goofing around, they needed a quick easy meal to satisfy their cavernous guts until dinner.

She looked up with a wide grin as the chimes above the entrance rang together and Ranma walked in, and then nearly laughed when she lost the tiny red head amongst the crowd of hungry customers. A few seconds later the smaller girl surged through the crowd at the counter with an exasperated growl. Straight away though she saw the weary tiredness suspended in the blue rings of her eyes.

"Rough day?" she automatically started to prepare Ranma's favorite, slapping the batter down on the hot plate and idly piling the red head's favorite toppings on it.

Ranma rubbed her eyes as she made herself comfortable. "You could say that."

Ukyo looked at her friend with a twinge of concern, noting the faint but tell tale shadows beneath the girl's eyes. "You feeling ok?"

Ranma looked at her wearily. "You know I am really getting sick and tired of people asking me that question."

"Well stop giving us a reason to then." Ukyo shrugged unsympathetically as she served out a few okonomiyaki's that were finished to their respective owners; as she did the red head muttered something undecipherable under her breath, causing the young chef to smirk triumphantly. "You know we only ask because we care about you Ran-chan, so stop complaining. Things could be a lot worse, you know."

"That's a matter of opinion," Ranma grumbled, resting her head in one hand looking away irritably.

Ukyo eyed the melancholy girl curiously, wondering what it was that had gotten to her this time. It never felt right seeing Ranma act this way; annoyed yes; ignorant, without a doubt, but never so affected that she had trouble sleeping or looked this troubled and confused. She was supposed to be the unwavering one, always confident, always sure of what she needed to do. Ukyo missed that Ranma, though she understood it would be a while before Ranma could be that person again.

"You're starting to sound as bad as Ryoga," she joked absently. "You two would make a perfect couple!"

The quiet red head shifted slightly but noticeably, cheeks flushing bright red like a spot fire as she turned away to hide her face. Ukyo blinked in confusion, caught off guard by the strange reaction to the harmless joke. It wasn't the first time she had seen the red head react oddly. For more than a week whenever she looked at the ruby haired teenager, she seemed to have her head in the clouds as her wide blue eyes stared obliviously into nothing while her body moved on autopilot; and then, she seemed to come back down to earth and her face would look like it was about to catch fire.

She wasn't the only the one that had noticed the odd behavior either; Akane had as well, but the dark haired teenager had chosen not to say anything as well. After all, with everything Ranma had gone through recently with Yukino – and that wasn't including everything leading up to that whole fiasco – it was only natural it would take time for her to get back to her normal self. Ukyo didn't care who it was, no one could go through all that torture and the brainwashing without having to deal with some baggage….Not that Ranma would ever admit she was anything but fine of course.

That's why they hadn't pushed her, knowing it would be no use. Now she was starting to wonder if that had been the wrong idea…

When they had taken her out a week ago, she had hoped it would put her in better spirits, cheer her up a little and help regain some of that spark she used to have; but, the entire time she had been nothing but distracted and gloomy. Ukyo had figured it was having her period for the first time on top of everything else. When she had rushed out of the movie theatre looking like she was going to hyper ventilate and have a heart attack was when she knew something wasn't right.

Then there was the abrupt end to their day out, when they ran into Ryoga an-

Ukyo's eyes widened abruptly, all thoughts dying instantly in her mind as her eyes froze on the fierce, tiny teenager. All the noise and chatter around her slipped away in a vacuum of silence and forgotten in a flash of connecting dots and images racing through her head. Slowly, trembling at the impossible conclusion she gaped at her in disbelief.

"Ukyo?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow at her puzzlement.

She couldn't even string a full sentence. "….Him?"

Ranma's own eyes widened in sudden, sickening realization. She looked back and forth in panic along the length of the counter at the other customers on either side of her, mostly Fuurinkan High students, who were starting to stare back and forth between her and Ukyo. Ranma snapped her eyes back at Ukyo, pleading.

"No, Uuchan!" she hissed. "Don't! Don't you dare do this, not here!"

Ukyo barely heard her. "Y….y….you have a crus-"

Before the words were out of her mouth, Ranma had leapt across the counter and tackled her to the ground in a blur of red and dark blue rolling across the hard polished kitchen floor. The customers gasped in shock and were on their feet in a flash, everything else forgotten as they watched the two girls. Then, all of a sudden Ranma was on her feet, with one hand clamped firmly over the chef's mouth as she rushed out through the back of the kitchen as she disappeared upstairs with Ukyo tucked firmly under the other arm.

Seconds later, Konatsu turned around from the back sink, and blinked in surprise to find all the customers gaping and Ukyo gone.

"Um...Ukyo-sama...?"

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Ranma took the steps four at a time, two leaps, a turn, and two more leaps as she left the crowds behind; heart and mind raced with panic and adrenalin pumping through her body like pure energy. She slammed the door shut behind her with a booming bang as she rushed into the apartment above the restaurant. Her face burned red, eyes blazing with furious anger as she all but threw the confused chef on to the sofa.

"Have you lost your freaking mind!" she nearly screeched at the bewildered brunette, struggling to remind herself that there was a restaurant full of people below her. "Do you have any clue what you were about to say in front of all those gossiping morons down there?"

She didn't give her time to answer, she whirled away with an exasperated snarl and stared to pace back and forth, hands clawing through her crimson locks; her heart felt like it was going to explode it was racing that fast, adrenalin surging through it like water through a busted dam. Even her hands were shaking the panic was that bad. That was far too close, she thought, with all those people, all those students that knew her. If they knew…kami, if they knew she would never have a moment's peace. It was bad enough they still whispered behind her back when they thought she couldn't hear them, that they still gave her strange puzzled looks. But, if they knew _this_, the whispering would never stop, and she would have every boy in the school trying to date her!

She would never know a moment's peace if those horny freaks had a choice.

She shot a death glare at her friend, and wondered how the hell she had figured it out. Watching that unmistakable look of realization materialize on the Osakan's face, the clear and obvious sign of thoughts connecting and lining up to a single conclusion was like watching a bad dream become reality. It had filled her with a heavy sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, making it churn like an ill-tempered ocean; this wasn't how she wanted anyone to find out!

"Damn it Ukyo! Why did you have to go and figure it out!" she hissed angrily, resisting the urge to bang her head against the wall impotently. No, there was no point in being angry with Ukyo; it wasn't her fault she'd figured out what she had been trying to hide. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

"My god…it's true," Ukyo rose slowly off the sofa, completely shocked and wide eyed. "You do have a crush on Ryoga don't you?"

Ranma grimaced at that, trying to ignore the fluttering lightness that made her heart skip a beat; she had avoided even using those words even in her own mind. Even still, trying to avoid the word didn't change the cold hard fact she had found herself faced with. No matter how much she wanted it to.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she growled lowly.

If Ukyo heard her however, she didn't show it. "It all makes so much sense. That's why you've been so weird lately and why you freaked out when we ran into him the other day. I thought you were just embarrassed about the whole Akari thing. I can't believe I didn't see it, it was right in front of me the whole time."

Ranma clenched her jaw dangerously tight, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks as she flushed with embarrassment, remembering all too well her unwillingly extreme and uncontrollable reaction to his sudden appearance that day. She knew she didn't have to worry too much about Akane figuring it out, but it was a wonder Ukyo hadn't figured it out there and then. It was only a matter of time before someone did; though it could have been far worse though…it could have been her mother.

That sent a shiver down her spine.

"You…you can't tell anyone," she said hoarsely, throat dry with swelling apprehension as she watched the brunette try to process the revelation. It was pointless to try and deny it now; she could only do damage control now. "Did you hear me Ukyo?"

The other girl turned and stared at her, blinking and suddenly the shock melted away from her face and was abruptly replaced with empathy "Oh Ranma, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I'm just so…I don't even know where to begin. Of course I won't say anything, you have my word on that."

Ranma felt her entire body sag; she wasn't sure if it was in relief or mental weariness catching up with her. Her whole body felt like it was made of lead, and every step to the couch was with such effort that she simply collapsed in a heap on it when she reached it. At the same time, more or less admitting the truth seemed to have lifted a load off her shoulders. She felt dizzy and light headed, as if the world was spinning around her. Ukyo eyed her carefully, a mountain of questions brimming behind those dark blue eyes just begging to be asked; she was practically bursting with excitement and hesitation.

Ranma sighed, "You look like a hyperactive little kid on Christmas morning."

The other girl's cheeks colored slightly like a child caught red handed. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to be understanding and sympathetic I am, but…this is so huge!"

"This is a nightmare," Ranma corrected bitterly, with a slight more sharpness than she meant to.

Ukyo was unfazed; not that there was much that could really shock her now. Her eyes never left the red head, perhaps afraid that if she turned her back long enough she might make a hasty escape before anyone could stop her. Ranma wasn't sure she wouldn't, given the chance.

Ukyo though sat down calmly next to her and gently squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You know you can talk to me if you need to sugar, and judging from the look of you I think might do you some good to get this off your chest."

Ranma stared dryly, eye brow cocked unconvinced. "Get it off my chest? Is that seriously the best you can do? You just want me to spill my guts to satisfy your own curiosity."

Ukyo flushed and pouted. "Well you can't expect me to just ignore and pretend this never happened can you? Besides it's not totally untrue you know. Look at yourself; this has been eating you up inside and what has bottling it up and pushing aside done for you? It's just made you spacey one minute and high strung the next. I think talking about it will do you some good."

She didn't even try to argue with that logic except to look away with a petulant pout of her own. Just because her argument made sense didn't mean she had to like it, but even still, she knew deep down that as curious as Ukyo was she wouldn't have suggested the idea if she didn't at least believe it might help.

"Fine'" she sighed suddenly, and tried not to glower at the excitement that plastered itself across the Osakan's face. "What do you want to know?"

"Well obviously I want to know everything," the brunette replied unabashedly. "But just take it slowly. When did it all start?"

Inwardly, the tiny red head was already regretting this.

"It started almost as soon as I overcame Yukino's brainwashing. Really though, I think it started sooner than that," she started softly, staring ahead of her at the wall, but seeing something else altogether. "When I got back my real memories back I also, got back the memories from when my...from when I was sick with the fever..."

There was silence as Ukyo eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise, sympathy mixed with concern. Then she said. "I didn't think you were aware of what was going on? Ryoga said you were delirious when he brought you back."

"It's hard to explain," Ranma hesitated slightly, still trying to sort it all out in her own mind as well. "I think most of the time I was out of it completely. Asleep or unconscious, whichever. There were a few times though when I was awake, but confused, delirious with pain and heat coursing through my body, my insides feeling like they were on fire and my body so weak I could have sworn it was the moxibustion point that was the cause. One of those times though I woke up during the night, still delirious but free of the pain; still weak and exhausted but pain free. I was scared too, I knew someone or something was chasing us, that they wanted to hurt us, but for the life of me I was so delirious I couldn't even figure out who _I_ was let alone what they wanted with us or what we had done. All I knew was that _he, _was protecting me..."

For a second she was back in the forest, sitting in his lap, arms wrapped around her; she could almost feel the iron hard muscles and warmth of his arms. It made her cheeks pink and ignited a small but spreading fire in them.

"I can't even begin to describe, what it was like Ukyo. I've spent my entire life training, getting stronger so I can protect myself and those around me that I care about, and not just because that's what pops wanted me to be the greatest martial artist ever, but because I didn't want to have to be protected by anyone. And then, suddenly I couldn't, and it wasn't like when Happosai hit me with the moxibustion point, that was different; I still had my speed then at least. This time though…I was completely helpless Uuchan. What made it worse was not even knowing who you are in the moment; I was no one and nothing in those moments," Ranma paused to take a breath, feeling the knot inside her chest swell as those emotions came flooding back. "I had never been more terrified and so utterly and completely helplessness in my entire life until then."

Ukyo stared in silence, watching the haunted glaze that spilled across the red head's blue gems, dimming the life and energy they usually lit them. All she wanted to do right then was wrap her arms around her friend; no one should have to experience what she had, let alone deal with by themselves.

"Knowing you're too weak to do anything… that complete and utter sense of helplessness, it was like a dark suffocating weight crushing down on you… but knowing he was there with me, protecting me, and keeping all the bad things away, it… it made everything ok; it made me feel so warm, and safe, like nothing could ever hurt me. In my fevered, delirious and delusional mind, I was just a girl… an-an-and, he was my…ah," Ranma faltered, face flushing with color and heat as she fidgeted nervously.

"Your shield? Your strength?" Ukyo offered, before a coy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she gave her a playful nudge. "Your knight?"

Ranma coughed and spluttered in alarm, her eyes widening almost comically as her face turned bright crimson. "What? No! That's absurd….. No, he was my-my, ah…my… you know what, it doesn't matter!"

Ukyo couldn't hide the knowing smile that spread across her face.

Ranma continued on quickly.

"That's beside the point anyway! I didn't know what was happening, I just knew I was grateful that he was there an… and I…I" she paused suddenly, trying to wet her lips, as her mouth and throat went as dry as a desert with growing apprehension; she knew there was no turning back now, not now that she had come this far… she took a deep breath.

"And, I kissed him..."

Ukyo's eyes were suddenly as wide as saucers as she stared at the crimson haired girl, her mouth opening and closing in silent shock as her brain tried desperately to connect the conflicting information with the person beside her. Ranma looked as though she was trying to make herself as small as possible so she could disappear, face flushed and her body trembling with embarrassment.

"Y-y-you, k-kissed him?" Ukyo repeated with a stammer of overwhelmed shock, making sure she had heard right. Ranma merely nodded, looking like she wanted to curl up and die. Ukyo rubbed her forehead in disbelief. "Wow...I honestly didn't see that coming. No wonder you've been so out of it."

Ranma grimaced, trying to ignore the memories that floated around her head, disjointed images of her lips pressed against his, sensory memories of his warm breath and the earthen smells all around them. Ranma shook her head furiously and forcibly shoved all of that to the back of her mind.

Ukyo patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. "It's ok Ranchan. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean I know _why_ you're embarrassed, but you have to remember you weren't yourself like you said. You were sick, delirious and frightened, so you found comfort and security where you could. You don't have to beat yourself up over this ok? It was an innocent mistake, that's all."

"I know..." Ranma replied softly, her tone conveyed an unmistakable measure of uncertainty and lack of conviction though.

Ukyo's brow furrowed in slight confusion. "Then what's the problem sugar. I mean, it's not like the two of you haven't had this happen under extenuating circumstances before… I know you haven't forgotten the koi rod incident. You got pass that easily enough right?"

"This time was different," the red head sighed miserably as she got up and started to pace around the living room. "This time...this time I enjoyed it...and I don't just mean then when it happened either. I also mean now, every time I think about it, or any time someone mentions him. I can remember it all so vividly, like it only just happened. I can still feel it all happening. It's always with me, always there at the edge of my thoughts, and I can't help but like it, even though another part of me is absolutely revolted!"

If she had been shocked before, now Ukyo felt as though a bomb had gone off in her head. What's more the girl before her looked just as floored and confused by her own admission. She looked so lost and desperate for answers. Ukyo didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to comfort her friend... her former fiancé at that! This was so far out of her league she didn't even know where to start.

"I don't know what to do about this!" Ranma hissed sharply, more to herself than Ukyo. "And that scares me even more! It's not something I should have to think about and I shouldn't be feeling this way in the first place, much less for him of all people damn it!"

Ukyo patiently stared at the freaked out red head. "This is far from as bad as you're making it out to be Ranchan, and take it from me, you could have fallen for a lot worse than Ryoga."

Ranma eyes flared with forced indignation. "I have not fallen for him!"

"Fine, pining, whatever you want to call it sugar," Ranma shot her a dangerous glare that she easily shrugged off. "My point is Ranma that if some little part of you, didn't like him you wouldn't be feeling this way; you would have accepted that it happened and put it behind you like you have in the past but instead you're letting that infuriating black and white perception of the world of yours get in the way of the part of you that wants to be happy. Now I'm not saying you need a man to be happy, but maybe you shouldn't be so quick to think that this is all a bad thing either."

"So what are you saying?" Ranma replied shortly.

"I am simply suggesting that maybe you should stop lying to yourself Ranma," Ukyo added gently, weathering another sharp look from the red head. "It's obvious that no matter how much you try to deny it that you're having these feelings and that's not going to change unless you explore them and figure out what they mean long term."

Ranma sank wearily back on to the couch, feeling and looking deflated. She was silent for a while, staring at the ground in thought as though she was trying to follow every little minute detail of the patterns in the weave of the carpet, brow knitted together in deep concentration.

"What's the point Uuchan? I can't ignore what I really am inside. It isn't like anything could happen between us anyway..." Ranma blushed suddenly and added quickly in wide eyed panic. "N-not that I want there to be anything between us, because I don't, ok!"

Ukyo couldn't help but smile with shameless amusement as she indulged Ranma's obviously pointless and transparent, if not surprisingly adorable denial; she didn't bother to point out the fact to the red head that she couldn't even look her in the eye when she said it though. It was cute, in a weird almost disconcerting sort of way.

"Look sugar, as I said, you can deny it all you want and until you're all blue in the face if you really want to," she explained, nearly rolling her eyes with exasperation as Ranma looked at her hopefully at that. "But, you know that's not going to work forever and if I figured it out, you can bet others are going to start figuring it out as well. Now imagine if that someone was your mother?"

Ranma shuddered violently. "She'd have me fitted for a wedding dress faster than I could blink."

"Exactly," Ukyo agreed. "So if you're not going to listen to me, then you should really find someone else to talk to because I really don't want to see you suffering again Ranchan, not after everything you've overcome so far and I know you don't want that either. Just remember though, that this doesn't have to be a bad thing and that I'm always here if you need to talk."

Ranma sat there silent, before she managed a weak nod and a small, appreciative smile. "Thank you."

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The air was starting to develop a nip to it, clouds mottling the blue canvas of the sky with patches of whitish grey. Ranma barely glanced up from the side walk as her body moved like it was on autopilot. Everything with Ukyo was still fresh in her mind; what a strange afternoon her day had turned into. Inwardly she was still cursing that Ukyo had figured it out, let alone got her talking about it. Now there were so many things flying around in her head she could barely tell left from right. Everything was all messed up…

Ukyo didn't get it though, no matter how easy she made it all seem; she couldn't forget who she was inside regardless of how she felt. Even if she did want to act on those feelings, what difference would it make? Ryoga would never be able to look past what she was inside either. As far as she was concerned, she was just asking for trouble exploring something that she knew could never amount to anything. Ukyo was right however; if she had realized the truth then it wouldn't be long before other's started to as well… as much as she would like to ignore it all and move on, she did need to talk about it with someone.

She sighed miserably; she hated having these feelings pulsing through her, messing with her life the way they were, though not nearly as much as she hated the fact that she did like them, or at the very least part of her did anyway.

Her life was far too complicated sometimes…

It wasn't long before she found herself standing outside the Tendo residence. It was deceptively serene from the outside, like any other home on and around the surrounding streets. Having lived there for nearly two years though Ranma knew that just because it looked peaceful on the outside, didn't mean chaos wasn't running rampant on the inside. Standing on the other side of the double wooden gates a sea of memories swept in and filled her mind. She couldn't help but smile. For all the chaos and trouble living there had caused, the time spent there had been some of the best in her life up until that point.

Sometimes on rare moments, she found herself almost wishing her mother hadn't taken her and her father from the Tendo's after she had revealed her secret to her. Those moments quickly passed when she reminded herself that of course that time had to end. The two of them couldn't freeload off Mr. Tendo forever, no matter how far her father's friendship with him went back. It wasn't right, not when the house was in a constant state of repairs from all the damage her daily battles with whatever foe of the day caused. Though in her defense, just as many of those damages were caused by a certain mallet swinging psychopath.

Ranma rolled her eyes as she reached out for the gate handle; not that little miss perfect would ever admit to that though…

"Ranma!"

Her hand jerked back in alarm as she yelped and her heart leapt into her throat, whirling around to find Kasumi standing behind her, arms overloaded with groceries.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," the eldest Tendo sister apologized with one of her patented disarming smiles. "I thought you heard me."

"Y-you didn't frighten me," she lied unconvincingly as she felt her face flush with heat from embarrassment. "Here let me help you with those."

"Thank you," the young woman replied as she let her take a couple of the bags and started inside. "I almost dropped them of times on the way home."

Ranma followed in silence, feeling less and less confident with every step. The only upside was that as they passed through the house there was no sign of anyone else. It made her slightly less nervous knowing that it was just the two of them and they could talk freely.

"So what brings you all the way here Ranma?" Kasumi asked as they placed the bags on the counter and she started storing the items that needed to be refrigerated. "Is everything ok? You look a little frazzled about something. Those girls haven't been giving you a hard time again I hope?"

Ranma winced inwardly at that, but at the same time Kasumi's natural motherly nature made her smile.

"No, I'm pretty sure I took care of that problem," she admitted, grimacing at the memory of how close she had come to breaking Sayori's arm; but then again the bitch had it coming. "I...uh...was hoping I could talk to you about something?"

"Of course you can Ranma, you know that," Kasumi smiled warmly, reassuringly even as the red head struggled with her inner thoughts and insecurity. "What do you want to talk about?"

Ranma felt her chest start to tighten with nervousness again. "W-well it's like t-this. Lately I've b-been having these…I mean."

She stopped and frowned hard at herself and her sudden inability to form the words she wanted to. This had seemed so much simpler in her head on the way over, after already talking to Ukyo. Now everything was all jumbled and tangled together again like Christmas lights after being stuffed inside a box for a year; even if she had an end to start from there was no guarantee she'd ever be able to find her way the mess of her thoughts.

Kasumi put a calming hand on her shoulder and said. "How about I make us some tea and we go sit in the sun. It's so nice outside at the moment that it would be a shame to waste it standing in here."

Ranma breathed in relief, and smiled awkwardly, feeling a little foolish.

"That would be nice…"

…

…**.**

…**.**

Ranma sipped slowly at the hot tea, savoring the bitter liquid as it warmed her from the inside out, while gazing around at the sun lit yard in quiet reflection; it was hard not to stare at any one spot without a myriad of memories playing out before her like scenes from a movie washed in the grey tones of time long since passed. Some memories were fresher than others though.

Though it was fixed now and as good as new, she knew the section of wall immediately across from her was the section she had blasted Ryoga through only a couple of months earlier; and, only a few feet away was the patch of earth where Akane had landed after she had back handed her ex-fiancé by accident.

She could do without either of those memories.

The nervous red head glanced at Kasumi, expecting the young woman to be staring at her, waiting; instead, she was staring up at the sky and seemingly enjoying the feel of the breeze as it ruffled her hair, and the feel of sun on her skin. She had forgotten how peaceful it was to simply sit with the slightly older girl. Kasumi was perhaps the only person she felt like she could be open with comfortably about what was going on with her at the moment.

Part of her knew she should be talking about her problem while they had the place to themselves; the more she stalled the more she ran the risk of someone coming home and then she definitely wouldn't be able to talk. At the same time she wondered if maybe some part of her was hoping that would happen so she didn't have to talk about it… Spilling her guts to Ukyo wasn't exactly something she had planned on or wanted to do; even if getting it off her chest had felt, somewhat good, as much as she hated to admit it.

She sighed.

"Are you ok, Ranma?" Kasumi said suddenly, drawing the red head out of her thoughts as she looked up at the older girl, meeting the gaze of a pair of concerned brown eyes. "You look so troubled."

Ranma peered down at the dark liquid in her cup in thought, everything still flying around her mind like leafs in a storm.

"I am…I'm confused and lost…" she replied softly. "I have a lot going on in my head at the moment that I just don't know how to deal with. I've tried and I just keep running myself in circles but I'm getting nowhere…"

"You've been through a lot recently," Kasumi said, as if that explained everything as she tried to be comforting.

She felt her shoulders sag a little. "I wish it was that simple."

"Isn't it?" Kasumi tilted her head in curiosity.

"No… no it's not," Ranma shook her head slowly, brows down turned in worried seriousness. She absently turned the little plate her tea cup was settled on, idly wondering why a cup needed one in the first place. With a sigh she pushed the pointless thoughts aside and took a deep breath as she looked up at the older girl that was like a sister to her; she couldn't keep avoiding it. "I-I think I'm in love with Ryoga…"

Silence abruptly fell across them as Kasumi gaped at her in surprise.

Ranma took another deep breath, gathering her courage and started from the beginning. By the time she was done, she felt a little drained as she finished explaining everything, letting it all spill out of her in a rush, pausing every so often to capture her breath before continuing. She was frantic to get it all out before she chickened out and clammed up again. When she was done she felt her heart racing and sipped slowly at the rest of the bitter sweet liquid of her tea as she tried to calm herself and waited for Kasumi to absorb it all. The older girl looked as though she had been smacked with a billboard sized revelation, the surprise clearly evident in her light brown orbs. She was nervous as she waited for her to say something, anything and fidgeted awkwardly under her gaze. It was a lot to take in, even for Kasumi she realized. Even still, she couldn't help but feel like a kid admitting to something they had done wrong.

"Well," Kasumi said eventually, still struggling. "No wonder you've been so confused, shouldering all that by yourself."

"You don't think I'm weird?" Ranma asked worriedly.

Kasumi smiled warmly. "Of course I don't. Why would I ever think that?"

"Because of who I am," the red head replied, shrugging her shoulders very slightly. "Because I have feelings for Ryoga, I can't get any weirder than that."

"Oh Ranma," the brunette said gently. "That doesn't make you weird. It just means you're a perfectly normal teenager."

At that Ranma stared up at the older girl with a cocked eyebrow and a dry expression. "Normal?"

"Ok, normal might not be exactly the right word," the young woman allowed. "That however doesn't mean it isn't true. I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're feeling though. I know it's all confusing and you have you're reasons for being scared of that, but that happens with these things. It can twist you up inside until you don't know what direction you're being pulled in."

"I don't want these feelings though," Ranma sighed heavily. "I don't like them, and I shouldn't be having them. I don't know even know if they're _my_ feelings."

"Sometimes we don't get to choose the ones that make us happy, and it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl, but it doesn't make the feelings any less important either," Kasumi explained as she reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I do know this though. You used to be full of so much energy and joy. You had your problems and you dealt with them as best you could, but you always had that gleam in your eyes. When you lost your male body, you lost that light as well and you were so angry. After what you went through with that dreadful Yukino woman though, you started to get it back, and just now, when you were talking about _him_, you may not have realized it but your eyes were as bright and full of life as ever. That's how I know what you're feeling, _are_ your feelings."

Ranma's mouth opened and closed rapidly like a fish gasping for breath as she struggled to reply and ignore the burning fire in her cheeks that spread crimson from ear to ear in embarrassment. "T-that has nothing to do with him!"

"Ranma, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," Kasumi replied, a light chuckle ringing in her tone. "I don't much like martial arts, not the way you and Akane do, but even I know that it's no different to what you're going through now. You have to rely on your instincts, on what your heart tells you to do. You can think about it as much as you want, but in the end you're going to have to make a choice; you can't avoid it forever."

"That's the problem," the red head grumbled. "I don't like what it's telling me."

Kasumi smiled sympathetically. "We don't always get a choice. It's like the old saying goes; the heart wants what the heart wants."

This was exactly what Ranma had been afraid of happening. It was what had always scared her the most about her female form; the fear of losing who she was to it, the same way her idiot father seemed to lose himself in his panda form. The question that she kept coming back to over and over again, was it her having these feelings or was she having these feelings because she was losing herself to the girl Yukino had claimed was part of the curse?

She wasn't sure which one was worse…

"Ukyo says I should explore it," Ranma explained doubtfully. "As if it's really _that_ easy."

"I think she's right," Kasumi replied seriously, much to the dismay of the surprised red head. "You're not going to be able to move forward unless you push yourself Ranma. Otherwise you're just going to keep punishing yourself thinking about it. You should explore these feelings, otherwise you might regret it later."

Ranma swallowed uneasily as she whispered almost conspiringly, as if someone might overhear her. "That would mean telling _him_, though."

There was amusement in the young woman's eyes, like an adult watching a baby trying to walk before it could crawl. "Why yes, I do believe it would."

Ranma felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, knowing she was being mocked. "I can't do that! Akari is his girlfriend, and besides, he would just laugh at me."

What was more frightening was that he wouldn't; what if he did take her seriously, then what would happen? What would he say? What were they supposed to do then? The questions and scenarios were so many it was absolutely mind boggling and made her brain feel like it was going to explode from overload; it terrified her in ways she couldn't even begin to explain.

"I don't want to make a fool of myself," she admitted quietly.

Kasumi smiled fondly at her. "Whether you're a man or a woman, love; real love is about risks, Ranma. When we love someone, when we feel something special for another person we eventually have to take a leap of faith and risk our heart to them, and trust they don't break it. If two people can't do that, then what's the point?" she explained calmly with wisdom far beyond her years. "At some point you're going to have to take a chance and roll the dice; you'll never know unless you do."

The red head felt her eye twitch uneasily. "I suck at gambling."

Kasumi laughed; a warm and gentle, embracing laugh that made Ranma smile despite herself. It was hard not to hear Kasumi's laugh and not feel like everything was going to be ok, no matter how bad something seemed to be. She had often marveled at the peacefulness and caring that radiated off the other girl, soothing everyone around her. If it wasn't for her the Tendo house hold would have fallen apart like it was made out of a stack of cards.

She knew she would have fallen apart without Kasumi's support, when she woke up after the fever…

"Thank you Kasumi," she said softly, after the other girl had stopped, fingers fidgeting. "I know everyone tried to help me as best they could after I found out I was trapped this way, but… but you were the only one that managed to keep me anchored and I never said thank you for that… so, thank you."

Kasumi just smiled like the saint she was. "You don't have to thank me for that, never. I knew you would find your way, just as I know you'll find your way now. Because that's exactly the kind of person you are Ranma; you'll figure this out like you do with every challenge you've faced. I know you will, you just have to have more confidence in yourself."

Ranma sighed heavily.

"This challenge, is different this time…"

…

…**..**

…

…**.**

…

The day was late, the sun high in the sky and the damp cold of the air cooling significantly by the minute. It would be getting dark soon, and there was the possibility of snow on its way. People walked the streets, on their way home from work or school, oblivious to the red head that sat on the grass overlooking the canal, deep in thought with a far away look in her eyes.

Ranma sighed; her talks with Kasumi and Ukyo hadn't been as helpful as she hoped, though she wasn't sure if it was help she was really looking for or someone to tell her what she wanted to hear. If anything she was more concerned than when she started. What had she expected either of them to say though? Kasumi was the closest thing she'd ever had to big sister and was probably the only person she respected more was her own mother; and Ukyo, wanted her to experience these things for the sake of experiencing them. Neither of them were exactly bias when it came to this advice.

But were they wrong…?

After weeks of being assaulted by that damn memory, and just over a week of living with the realization of what those emotions _might_ mean she was no closer to understanding them or figuring out a decision. She pinched and rubbed the bridge of her nose, tired of running herself in circles; what was she supposed to do? It wasn't as easy as Kasumi and Ukyo wanted her to think it was… she couldn't just go and say, _hey Ryoga, guess what?_

He'd think she had gone insane.

The kami only knew what her mother would do if she went to her about this; although she imagined there would be a lot of excited jumping and squealing with joy, followed by celebrations and gods only knew what else! Hell, she'd probably be married off before she could even blink, knowing her parents.

She shuddered at the thought of herself in a wedding dress…

"Uuurrrggg! This sucks!" She flopped backwards on the ground with a growl of frustration and glared up at the sky in thought, digging her fingers into the corners of her eyes pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation.

Sighing she continued to stare up the sky, letting her arms fall straight out to either side of her, watching the dark grayish streams glide across the darkening blue canvas behind them. Long shadows stretched across the world as the clouds grouped around the sun, before passing by seconds later. The silence – save for the normal sounds of urban life around her – was relaxing in its own way; the cool air flowing over her body, like she was lying in a stream. She could almost go to sleep.

She let her head roll sideways, and then felt her bones nearly jump out of her skin, and swore.

Sitting two feet away was Nabiki.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she demanded as she sat up.

The other girl shrugged. "Long enough to know that talking to yourself is usually the first sign that you're going insane."

Ranma felt her eye twitching rapidly and her jaw tightening irritably as she stared at the other girl in disbelief. Nabiki didn't spare her a glance, instead watching the water flow past in the canal, small wooden boat rocking and bobbing on the little waves of disturbance. How Nabiki had learnt to move so quietly or hide her presence so well she would never know. The girl was far too good for it to simply be a lapse in her own concentration; was probably how she managed to get such good photos of people in compromising situations.

She was worse than a damn ninja.

"What do you want Nabiki?" she asked finally. "I'm not in the mood for any of your damn extortion schemes today."

Nabiki grinned unnervingly. "Ranma honey, if I wanted to extort money out of you, I would have by now and you know it. You're not that dense."

"I repeat," she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What do you want?"

The other girl sighed. "I overheard your conversation with Kasumi earlier."

Ranma felt her blood suddenly go cold and she stilled at the horror of Nabiki of all people having this information to hold over her head; and then she felt the fire of an indignant anger begin to burn inside her.

The red head stood up, visibly shaking. "How dare you!"

Nabiki wasn't fazed. "Sit down before you have an aneurism Saotome. Besides, you should know by now to be more cautious if you want to have a private conversation on my turf. If I overheard something I shouldn't, that's your fault not mine. I didn't intend to spy on you anyway, it was an accident; I was going to the kitchen when I overheard you explaining everything to Kasumi. Now sit down, I'm not here to black mail you or anything…I just wanna talk…..."

Ranma eyed her wearily, but sat back down. Every instinct and experience told her not to trust the manipulative young woman, trying to calculate how much money she had been cheated out of by her or the many times she had made her life difficult just because it was amusing and there was a profit to be made from it. She was ruthless when she wanted to be and was possibly one of the smartest people Ranma had ever known; but, at the same time there was a strange twinge in her tone, an odd hint of seriousness that grabbed at her.

"What do you want to talk about then?" she asked eventually, unable to hide her irritation. "About how I'm scared that I might have feelings for Ryoga or how I keep dreaming about kissing him when I had that damn fever?"

"Ranma, you either have feelings for him or you don't," Nabiki replied evenly without so much as sparing her a glance. "If you didn't have feelings for him you wouldn't be trying to convince yourself so desperately that you don't, and you know it. But, that isn't what you're scared of, and you aren't scared that he might not feel the same way either."

"Oh really?" the red head glared coldly. She didn't like it when people presumed to know what she was feeling. "What am I scared of then Nabiki, since you know me so well? Enlighten me."

Finally the girl turned and stared at her with piercing, knowing eyes. "You're scared because you can't help but wonder if you had these feelings before you got trapped this way. It's gnawing at you and you're more worried about what people are going to be whispering behind your back if you give into them and you're prideful enough that, just to spite yourself you'll ignore what your heart is telling you to do and in the end you'll just end up lonely and bitter."

Ranma glared and clenched her jaw tight, grounding her teeth together, but she couldn't hold the other girl's gaze and turned away.

"See," Nabiki continued casually. "You know I'm rig–"

"_You_ are the last person that should be giving anyone advice," Ranma hissed as she cut her off, surprising both Nabiki and herself with the venom in her voice. "All you ever care about is your precious money; you'll even sell out your own sisters if there's a profit to be made. You don't care about anyone but yourself! So why, why would I ever wantadvice from you?"

As soon as the words were out her mouth she regretted it. There was a flicker of genuine hurt in the other girl's eyes, and then with a blink it was gone as quickly as it had appeared and she turned away from her, corners of her mouth tugging downwards sadly. Ranma closed her eyes and cursed inwardly as an incredibly heavy, uncomfortable and awkward silence settled over them. The red head kicked herself angrily, and tried to look everywhere except at her; she was just trying to help she reminded herself; it wasn't fair to take her frustration out on her.

"I'm sorry Nabiki, that was uncalled for," she apologized softly.

"I suppose I deserve it," the other girl replied distantly. "I know what people think of me. I know I've made a lot of enemies and I've made peace with that. Really, I don't care what they think of me."

Then she stared pointedly at her.

"I do care about my family though…..and for better or worse, that includes you too Ranma."

Ranma couldn't help but blink in surprise at that. For all the time she had known this girl, she could count on one hand the number of times Nabiki had shown any real emotion over anything other than money. All the times she had cheated and manipulated them all to whatever end she needed had clouded Ranma's judgment of her; only once had she ever seen the middle Tendo sister act even half way considerate towards anyone, and that had been when her mother had first visited the Tendo's. Ranma would never forget how affected Nabiki had been by that encounter.

Now here she was, trying in some way to build a bridge between them.

"You think of me, as family?"

Nabiki's lips formed a small smile at her obvious shock. "Well you were almost my brother-in-law, Ranma. And like I said, you've stuck your neck out for us more times than I can count, so if that doesn't make you family, what does?"

Ranma just blinked at her in surprise. "Wow. I don't know what I should say."

"Oh don't go and get all sentimental on me Saotome; that definitely isn't you," Nabiki replied humorously. "Besides things may have turned out very differently between the two of us if you had shown up in your guy form the first day we met."

Ranma looked at her, frowning in confusion at the whimsical musing in her tone; but when she offered nothing more, Ranma decided to let it go. It would do her no good to try and pry information out of someone like Nabiki Tendo, someone who valued information as being just as precious as money.

"You're right though, it does scare me," Ranma sighed as Nabiki glanced at her silently but listening calmly. "It scares me so much that I can't think about anything else. I shouldn't have these feelings, but I do... and yes, I am scared of what people will think, who wouldn't be in my situation? It's bad enough dealing with this without having to deal with what other people have to say about it."

Nabiki stared at her seriously. "Screw what others think, Ranma. It's none of their business anyway."

Ranma frowned at the ground. "It's weird though. I can't be the only one that thinks that way about it right? I mean, come on, me and Ryoga?"

"You don't get it do you," Nabiki shook her head. "Ok yes, it is a little weird, no one is denying that but it's not nearly as weird as it would be if you could still transform back and forth, not that there would be anything wrong with that either, it just would be that's all. Besides, this is Nerima; there are things far stranger around here than you liking Ryoga."

"I suppose," Ranma whispered uncertainly as she drew her knees to her chest.

It was true though. There were plenty of weirder things running around the ward on a regular basis; a girl that could turn into a cat, a guy that could turn into a duck, another into a pig and a man that could turn into a panda. Magic, curses and monsters and other worldly crap run amuck. She took comfort in the fact that even the strangest things in this place had a way of becoming normal amazingly quick. She had tried to keep her curse a secret when she first arrived; in theory it worked, but the reality was so much different and staying away from cold water had been far harder than she thought it would be. But, instead of being viewed as some sort of monster….everyone still accepted her… that didn't stop rumors though.

That's what she hated

"People _will_ talk though," she muttered almost bitterly.

The brunette gave a nonchalant shrug of her slim shoulders. "People will talk regardless. You know that better than any on Saotome. If you don't give them something to talk about they'll only make up something themselves. You should have heard some of the stories about you and your assorted harem of fiancés."

The way her tone rose with amusement irked the red head slightly and she cast an irritated look at her. "Yeah, and I bet you made a nice tidy sum off spreading those stories too."

Nabiki's eyes twinkled mischievously as she feigned innocence, smiling at her own genius. "Whether I made a profit is beside the point. But since you asked, yes I did."

The girl was nothing if not incorrigible.

"Look, I might be obsessed with money, and I make no apologies for that either," Nabiki said suddenly. "But that doesn't mean I don't see what's right in front of me. You're tearing yourself up over something stupid and as much as I like to see you squirm I don't find enjoyment in seeing you like this..."

"What do you suggest then?" she asked calmly.

"I'm not suggesting anything," the other girl replied. "I'm am simply telling you you're thinking too hard about this, twisting yourself inside out and for what? Boy or girl, man or woman, what does any of it mean in the end as long as you're happy? Why do you have to be one or the other in order to be with someone that makes you feel good, as long as you're happy?"

Ranma blinked as she stared at the other girl; she found herself seeing Nabiki in a brand new light she never expected to. The sharp minded, quick tongued business woman that had cheated and financially crippled her and so many others over the years had just opened up a part of herself she didn't think many, if any at all had ever seen before. She felt surprisingly honoured, that her former sister-in-law/potential fiancé had allowed her to see that much of herself.

The red head looked away, to stare at the sky in thought; and what's more, Nabiki wasn't wrong either… What _did_ it matter...in the end?

But could she really find the strength though to do what they all kept telling her to do, to do what her heart was demanding she do? Even though it would mean going against everything she thought about herself, against everything her instincts told her was wrong and disgusting; everything that she was so terrified of losing… could she do it? Could she really put it all aside?

And, how would it change her when she was done…?

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention suddenly and she turned to see Nabiki holding out her hand; her thumb, index and middle finger rubbing together in an all too familiar, universal sign.

Ranma looked at her in disbelief.

Nabiki just grinned. "Nothing's free Saotome."

…

…_**To Be Continued**_

…

…**..**

…

…**.**

…

**A/N:**

** Ok, I honestly thought this chapter was going to end up being a lot longer than it really turned out to be. While I was writing the Ukyo section I thought I was going to reach close to the 35 page mark, but then I decided not to write this little section I wanted to do with Akane or Ryoga because I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do or how I could make it relevant so I just got rid of that completely. The wrap up was going to be different as well, but when I got up to it I just couldn't think of what to do so that went too.**

** Now I had originally meant for this and the next part to be a single chapter but I had already decided months and months ago that I was going to do it as a two part chapter. So unlike my other multi part arcs, this one was actually planned and concludes with the next chapter XD**

** Initially it was just gonna be Kasumi and Ukyo giving Ranma advice, and originally Ranma was going to willingly ask Ukyo for hers, but I decided it would be funnier if Ukyo figured it out for herself. Then I started to think that well yeah, of course that's the kind of advice those two would give her, that's what everyone would expect…. So I decided to have Nabiki throw her two cents in as well, since generally she should be the last person people would expect to give a damn about anyone except herself.**

** Ok, now Ranma.**

** As most had correctly assumed, her "dreams" were memories from hers and Ryoga's escape from the monks.**

** Now I know there have been readers that have "begged" and almost demanded that I don't make this a Ranchan/Ryoga fic, but as its clearly labeled as one and since this was obviously the direction its been heading, you shouldn't be surprised and I don't wanna hear any lip from yah's about it. If you don't like that its gone in that direction, that's your problem. **

** Anyway, with that being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because A LOT of work went into this chapter and I hope it reflects that, because honestly a day hasn't gone by in the last two months that I haven't worked on this thing ;**

** I hope you will all come back for the next chapter…..**

…**so until then ^_^**


	22. Chapter 21: Three Terrifying Words Pt 2

**A/N: **

**Holy crap! **

**A finished chapter two weeks after the end of NaNo. Wonders never cease! **

**So here it is, the next chapter in Tabula Rasa. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, more fun than I've had in a long time and I think that was in no small part thanks to participating in NaNo. **

**And on that subject, I hit 50,000 words three days before the deadline! A total of 50,175 words to be precise. My story is far from finished, that'll still take a good 150k – 200k before that, but god damn it's a good feeling not only reaching the 50k goal but also doing it three days before the deadline.**

**However as soon as I hit that goal, I put the story aside and returned to this straight away. I probably would have finished this a few days ago but I kept getting caught up a little on the last couple of sections. All up though as I said before I had more fun writing this than I have in a long time; this is a game changing chapter.**

**Additionally if people want to stay up to date on the progress of each resulting chapter from this point forth, check out my deviant art page for updates. You can find the link on my profile page.**

**Anyway, I thank everyone for their patience waiting for this next part and I hope you enjoy ^_^**

…

… …

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Chapter 21

_Those Three Terrifying Words Pt 2_

The clouds that had come the day before had gone just as quickly, leaving in their wake only a chill in the air as a reminder. The sun peaked over the horizon with a yawning yellow orange glow that lit the sky aflame with morning rays of light, spilling across the city, casting long shadows across the ground. Soon the streets would be filled with men and women heading to work, and kids heading to school. It seemed like it was going to be a perfect day, save for the cold chill that permeated everything it touched, carried by a lightly wind that whistled through the streets like a lost wraith.

Ranma shivered slightly, wishing she had grabbed a jacket, and rubbed softly at her upper arms, despite her long sleeves.

Her focus though, wasn't really on the chill that had spread through her arms and legs, and across her back. It was on the soft growling snores that escaped through Ryoga's lips as she crouched at the flap of his tent, on the balls of her feet and watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept soundly. She knew it was creepy and she had cursed Shampoo and Ukyo for doing it to her more than a few times in the past, but try as she might she couldn't make herself wake him.

Inwardly she cursed and berated herself; she'd had a plan when she was on her way to see him. Then she had gotten to his tent and quietly opened the flap, and upon seeing him sleeping all her plans had simple disappeared in the blink of an eye. It had taken her all night to muster up the courage to go talk to him as Ukyo, Kasumi and even Nabiki of all people had suggested she should, but now that she was here that courage had turned its tail and fled like a coward back inside her somewhere where she just couldn't find it.

She had been sitting there for close to two hours or maybe three hours. She wasn't sure anymore, only that it had still been dark when she had woken from yet another memory dream of them kissing. Impulsively, driven by frustration and lack of sleep it had seemed like a perfectly reasonable plan to go and talk to him straight away. After all she had agreed with what the others told her, even if she didn't want to admit it; she did need to talk to him, desperately. The fact that he would most likely still be sleeping didn't occur to her the entire time, not until she saw him laying there, looking oddly peaceful.

So she sat there, watching him.

By the time the sun had started to poke its head up over the horizon, she had traced the line of his jaw, the shape of his eyes and lips and his nose so many times they were burned into her brain. She stared at him in a way she had never done before and she reluctantly admitted that he did have a certain rugged handsomeness about him that was hard to ignore. She hadn't noticed it before, but then again she wouldn't have. It didn't, _do_ anything for her though, not like it probably would have Ukyo or Shampoo or anyone of a hundred girls she could think of, who were looking for that kind of thing. She did notice it though, and that alone unsettled her.

This was all Ukyo and Kasumi and Nabiki's fault she had decided; before she had let them put these stupid thoughts in her head she hadn't even entertained the idea of humiliating herself by trying to talk it about it with him, but here she was now watching him sleep like some creepy psychotic stalker girlfriend. Oh how low she had fallen, to be reduced to this. She was starting to think she should have just kept it all bottled up and repressed until she died of a stomach ulcer or something. It would have been preferable than stooping to this.

She was Ranma Saotome for crying out loud! The greatest martial artists in all Japan – at least under three hundred years old. Ranma Saotome didn't pine for or stalk anyone; they pined for or stalked her! Not the other way around…unless she was under the affects of something mystical of course, but then it wasn't her fault!

Then she sighed inwardly; even if that was true, Ukyo and the others were right, she did need to resolve whatever the hell it was she was feeling. She didn't know if it was love, or if it was stupid silly crush or what, but it was powerful and she couldn't ignore it no matter how hard she tried, and she worried that the harder she tried the worse it would get and really would turn her crazy.

It wasn't fair though she had to put up with this now, so soon after being trapped as she was. If it had happened in a few years from now or hell even one year from now, she may have been able to accept whatever it was she was feeling, but after three months? She had barely made peace with that she would have to sit down to take a leak for the rest of her life, let alone this of all things. She had accepted that her _male_ ego and pride had caused her nothing but unnecessary grief and was determined to stop that from letting her live her life happy and content, but there was still some stuff she just wasn't prepared to open herself up to the possibility of yet and _this_ was amongst the stuff right at the top of the list!

Even the idea of _liking_ another boy made her queasy.

… Yet, the idea of _liking_ him, of all people gave her a strange warm and fuzzy feeling… and that made her feel even worse!

What the hell was it that made him different to any other boy anyway? Not that she wanted to have feelings for any other boy, she amended inwardly, but she still didn't understand why it had to be him? What made him so damn special that he could make her feel all knotted up inside? Maybe because he was her equal in everyway? Well, not everyway she thought, she was definitely smarter than him… even if she was acting like a crazy person at the moment…

The red head's shoulders sagged with the burden the maelstrom of thoughts and conflicted emotions in her mind placed upon them. She wrapped her arms around her knees and continued to stare at with troubled eyes, trying to pick her way through the dilemma like it was some great puzzle. As she watched him though she a slight, soft smile formed on her lips, thinking to herself that he did look strangely peaceful in the morning light, snoring obliviously. There was something oddly relaxing about watching him sleep, his peaceful expression nearly hypnotic.

Then without warning she sneezed, and lost her balance, falling backwards hard on her ass. The color immediately drained from her face as Ryoga snorted and started to stir at the sudden noise.

She crawled backwards in a desperate panic, hands clawing wildly at the ground and slipping a couple of times before she abruptly turned and ran for all she was worth, leaping over a low wall and then up to the roof tops, cursing herself out the entire way in red faced embarrassment.

…

… …

…

The kitchen was filled with clack of a knife slicing through vegetables and meat and hitting the chopping board. Nodoka hummed to herself as she deftly sliced through the length of carrots and zucchini's and joined the others already waiting in the pan. When she finished she moved across the kitchen with the grace and practiced ease of someone that knew exactly where everything was. Grabbing a bottle of peanut oil out of the pantry she turned on her heel and closed the pantry behind her with a light tap of her foot. The stove went on with a soft ignition of flame, and a few minutes later the oil drizzled in the pan, sending up a sudden burst of flame.

The day had gone quick, the sun seeming to skirt through the sky. No sooner had morning come, so to had the late afternoon. Soon enough last traces of the day would turn to twilight and be swallowed up by the night quickly after that.

She had been surprised to find Ranma already gone when she woke up, but was more surprised when the red head had come back for breakfast and to shower and change and grab her school books. As soon as the girl had walked in the door though Nodoka had seen that something was wrong. Ranma looked all flustered and panicky. Of course though when she had tried to talk to her about it, Ranma had waved it off dismissively as if nothing was wrong, but Nodoka hadn't been born yesterday; she knew when her own child was troubled about something.

When Ranma had come home earlier she hadn't looked all that much better about it either, but had shut herself off in her room to study; that was something at least Nodoka had to admit. If it had been just today though she probably wouldn't have thought much about it, except that it hadn't just been today. Ranma had been acting strangely since she had the brain washing removed and trying very hard not to be noticed; and failing badly. And, to make matters worse she wasn't sleeping well again, waking up in the middle of night with startled gasps she didn't either her or Genma had heard, or not sleeping at all sometimes.

She sighed as she mixed the stir fry through, flicking them up and catching them with the back of the pan. There was nothing she wanted more than to try and talk to her about whatever it was that was troubling her, but it was painfully obvious that there were still some things that her _daughter_ wasn't comfortable talking to her about. She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt, her own child not trusting her.

As much as she wanted to though, she knew pushing her wouldn't get her anywhere either. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth; Ranma was even more stubborn than she was.

No, she knew the best thing she could do was to wait until Ranma was ready to come to her, by herself.

…

… …

…

Ranma flipped absently through one of the work books with a weary frown. The strings of numbers that made up the math homework seemed more like an alien language than anything she could actually decipher. How anyone could make a career out of staring at numbers all day was beyond her, it was making her brain hurt just trying to figure out the junk in front of her. Sometimes she preferred the old days when her father let her skimp on her studies – primarily because he couldn't under half the stuff himself to help her, – but now that her mother was back in her life, her studies were just as important as her training, if not more so if her mother had anything to say about it.

Nothing was more important than martial arts though, as far as Ranma was concerned, and not even her mother could make her think differently about that.

With an aggravated sigh she pushed the books away and leant back in the chair, stretching her arms over her head and yawned. Maybe it would have been easier, she thought idly as she stared up at the bedroom ceiling, to concentrate on the stupid math work if her brain wasn't crammed full of other crap.

Her face colour red with embarrassment as she pictured herself again, running away from the vacant lot like a scared little child running from some big ol'bad monster. It was shameful and pathetic, and smear on her own name. Worse, it was cowardly and while her father had made a name for himself by being one, she had no intention of carrying out that family legacy. Running away! It left a nasty taste in her mouth, like Akane's cooking.

It was Ukyo, Kasumi and Nabiki's fault putting silly ideas in her head in the first place, she was absolutely sure of that now. And now even her mother was starting to ask questions. How long would it be until she figured out what was going on? Not long if Ukyo had figured it out just by putting two and two together. She had seen the way her mother had looked at her earlier that morning and when she got home from school; she had seen the mix of concern and puzzlement in her eyes. It wasn't hard to see that her mother was trying to respect her privacy, but at the same time it was just as easy to see that she really wanted to know what was going on.

Ranma sighed heavily; it really wasn't that she didn't trust her mother. For all her worrying she knew her mother wasn't going to try fit her into a wedding dress and start demanding that she squeeze out a healthy number of grandchildren…. At least she _really_ hoped she wouldn't. No, the problem was that she really didn't know how to tell her. Then there was her father; she had never really given a damn about his opinion, but this was huge and she really didn't know how he would… react about it…

Calmly if he didn't want to end up on the business end of the family honour sword…

There was a sudden knock at the door and Ranma immediately shifted back into place so it looked like she wasn't slacking off, in case it was her mother.

She was surprised when Akane poked her head in instead.

'Hey, your mom said you were up here studying. I thought she was kidding, since the Ranma I know doesn't study.'

'Ha. Ha. You're hilarious,' the red head replied as the youngest Tendo smiled at her own clever quip. Ranma added quickly. 'I didn't expect to see you. Thought you'd be home trying to help ruin dinner?'

Akane gave her a stormy look. 'That's not funny, you jack ass.'

Ranma merely chuckled at the serious expression that little dig, at her ex-fiancée caused. She shouldn't be mean though, Akane did try to cook good meals after all and just wanted to look after her family the way Kasumi did. Unfortunately she was all heart and no talent, and trying to help her was like trying to squeeze blood from a rock. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Akane was even an accomplished martial artist with such little patience as she had.

'Seriously though, I thought you'd be home helping Kasumi set up for dinner. Something wrong?' she asked.

Akane shook her head. 'No nothing's wrong. Well, not exactly. I just wanted to talk, that's all. Does something need to be wrong for us to talk?'

Ranma narrowed her eyes slightly as she gave the dark haired girl a measured, penetrating a look. Something wasn't right; she could see it plastered all over the other girl's face. Of all the things Akane was, being subtle wasn't one of them.

'No,' she replied cynically. 'Something's definitely wrong.'

'Alright fine,' Akane huffed. 'I heard about you tackling Ukyo over the counter yesterday. It's all over the school and I didn't get the chance to ask you about it today. You ran off to quickly!'

Ranma winced when she mentioned the incident at Ukyo's yesterday. She knew that word of what had happened was going to spread around the school; she had suspected as much when people kept giving her curious stares and shared whispered conversations amongst one another even while their eyes never left her. The alternative would have been much worse if Ukyo had outed her in the middle of the damn restaurant. That would have certainly been something for everyone to gossip about. Them gossiping about her doing something strange though was far better than them knowing about Ryoga though, she had to remind herself.

'There isn't anything wrong, trust me,' she said finally. 'It was just a simple misunderstanding that's all.'

'You tackled her from across the counter. Everyone said the both of you freaked out about something. Come on Ranma, it's me,' Akane said. 'You can tell me what's going on.'

No, Ranma thought sadly, she was the last person she wanted to talk to about this. It wasn't because she didn't trust her former fiancée, despite all the arguments they had and all the things Akane had accused her of being since she knew her. Really she knew Akane never meant any of that, just as she had never meant any of the things she had called her. No she couldn't talk to her about it simply because it was just far too painful to. She knew they were never going to be together, but even still part of her would always love her.

'I'm not stupid,' Akane added indignantly. 'Whatever is going on I can see how it's affecting you. You can see it in your eyes. I'm worried about you.'

'Akane,' she replied desperately, as she rubbed the corners of her eyes in frustration. 'I'm not ready to talk about it yet.'

The young Tendo frowned angrily. 'But you can talk to _Ukyo_ about it right? Well that's what happened wasn't it? Whatever it is you're hiding, she worked it out didn't she?'

Ranma struggled to keep a neutral expression on her face as she winced inwardly at the hurt in Akane's voice. That hurt would be three times as much if she wound out that both her sisters knew as well. Maybe Kasumi she would understand though, and it wasn't her fault Nabiki had overheard and chosen to stick her nose into it as well. She sighed, thinking this was starting to become an even bigger mess than it already was and was starting to affect others around her. It couldn't keep going on like this; she was going to have to do something and soon.

'Yes she did,' Ranma admitted grudgingly. 'But, I didn't want to speak to her either about it but I was forced to. When _I__'__m_ ready to talk about it, I'll tell you I promise. Until then trust me, you're not going to get me to tell you. So please stop trying. I don't want to argue with you, but this is something I need to figure out by myself.'

Akane stared at her for a long time, her brow furrowed in frustrated confusion. The silence was deafening and Ranma was sure she was going to press the matter. But then her shoulders sagged slightly and with a sigh she nodded reluctantly.

'Alright,' she said with all the annoyance of someone that clearly wasn't fine with it, but she knew Ranma well enough to know that when she said she wouldn't be able to pry the information out of her, she meant it. 'You don't have to try and work everything out by yourself though Ranma. It won't kill you to ask for help instead of making everyone worry about you.'

'I know,' Ranma replied softly as she went over to the bed and laid back, feeling deflated as she stared at the ceiling. 'I never realized how simple my crazy life was before all this happened. Now everything is crazier than it ever was and I feel like I'm confused all the time and feeling my way through each day.'

'You'll find your feet,' Akane assured. 'You always do.'

Ranma glanced at Akane and felt a familiar and powerful sense of lost tug at her heart strings as she stared at her.

'I wish everything could go back to the way it was. Go back to the way things were between us. I miss that time, and now it feels like it was all so long ago,' she said finally with a sigh. Akane was caught off guard, by the sudden change in direction. She didn't know what to say. Ranma continued as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. 'Despite all the arguing things weren't that bad between us, weren't they? I mean, we had some good times together right?'

Flustered by the abrupt change in topic, Akane sat down next to her with a somewhat embarrassed expression, and tried to manage a light hearted smile. 'No it wasn't all bad. There were times when you acted sweet enough that I could almost forget how completely an utterly impossible you could be.'

When Akane turned around to look her in the face, Ranma caught her by surprise and caught her lips in a sudden kiss and gently cupped her cheeks with her hands. Akane's eyes flew open as wide as they could go and all the sound was sucked out of the room as though through a vacuum. The dark haired teenager was frozen in place with confusion as her mind went suddenly blank. Then she jerked back in shock and anger and practically leapt off the bed to put a little distance between them. The silence between them was louder than anything either of them had ever heard before.

'Ranma! W-w-what the hell has gotten into you!' she demanded in a panicked shrill voice, looking amazingly like a cornered animal ready to lash out if she was forced to. 'Have you lost your mind!'

Ranma didn't even attempt to move, half expecting to be sent flying through a wall as it was. Instead she just looked at her miserably. 'I'm sorry Akane, but I needed to know though… It's just so hard; I wish things would just go back to the way they were…'

The dark haired teenager stared at her awkwardly in disbelief, not knowing what to say as she stood there in muted shock, her eyes darting over face, searching the deep blue pools that stared desperately up at her, as if begging for help. The red head was being clearly sincere as she apologized. Akane felt the tension leave her as anger gave away to sympathy, suddenly unable to be mad at the girl. With only a slight bit of hesitance she lowered herself back to the bed.

'Ranma...' she said, trying to be as gentle as possible as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'I wish things could go back to the way they were before as well. Everyday I wish I could turn back the clock and stop you and Ryoga from going off to get that damn stupid jewel. I still have feelings for you to, but, we're just friends now Ranma. Nothing more.'

Ranma looked down at the ground with a sigh, feeling suddenly very foolish.

'I know that now. But, I just needed to know if there was still something there. I need to know. I'm sorry,' she whispered, more to herself than anything. 'I'm sorry I messed everything up.'

'You can't keep blaming yourself,' Akane smiled and drew her into a sudden hug that caught the red head by surprise.

Any other time she probably would have torn herself loose with as much complaining and indignant pride as she could possibly manage, but right at that moment she couldn't have even if she wanted to. She just didn't have the strength to, never mind that it felt, kind of nice…and comforting.

Suddenly Akane let her go and stood up. 'I better be going home, Kasumi will be wondering where I am.'

Ranma merely nodded.

'Ranma,' she said as she reached the door, and looked back with concern in her eyes. 'Whatever it is that's bothering you that you're not ready to talk about, you need to figure it out…'

'…Before it's too late to for you to do anything about it.'

…

… …

…

Dinner was unusually quiet.

Outside crickets chirped and sang their little insect noises, creating a ruckus that filled the strange silence of the dining room with nothing else except the occasional clink of chop sticks against the bowls, and slushing of drinks.

Save for that, dinner was quiet.

Nodoka watched her daughter with curiosity as the red head slowly and thoughtfully picked at the simple stir fry. It was obvious that her mind was else where; she had barely said two words since Akane left and she had been called down for dinner, let alone during the entire time she had been home. Something that hadn't escaped her watchful gaze was that the troubled look that had haunted Ranma's eyes for the last couple of weeks was gone and had been replaced with a distant thoughtful, puzzled frown of deep concentration.

If Genma had noticed he didn't show it.

She had attempted and failed to get him to see that something hadn't been right with their child, that something had been bothering her but each time he told her to trust in her to figure it out for herself. It was easy for him to say that, he'd had over a decade to know when Ranma needed help and when she didn't. Nodoka was still learning as best she could, and that irritated her more than it should have. Yet it did seemed as if Ranma had indeed figured something out and seemed less worried than she when she had gotten home from school. It left Nodoka to wonder what had happened between then and now; although she was sure she had a pretty good idea who had helped it along.

'Akane wasn't here for very long,' she pointed out curiously, putting a sudden end to the silence. 'I invited her to stay for dinner, but she seemed to be in hurry.'

Ranma's concentration broke abruptly as she paused in mid bite at the mention of Akane, and her entire body tensed for a few seconds before relaxing again. Nodoka hid a little victorious smile behind her bowl as she continued to eat. She was on the right track at least.

'She seemed very flustered and out of sorts about something when she came down though,' she ventured further more boldly, trying to coax her into talking. 'You two didn't have an argument did you?'

Then Genma interrupted before Ranma could say anything.

'When aren't they arguing?' he half snorted, half laughed. 'Nearly everyday for two years they did nothing but argue about one thing or another, and if they weren't fighting with one another they were calling each other names and going out of their way to tick each other off. It was cute, most of the time at least.'

Nodoka couldn't help smile with amusement at the little twitch at the corner of Ranma's eye as she turned and gave her father a withering glare. Never one to take a hint, the glare only served to make him burst with a loud deep guffaw, which only served to cause the red head's frown to deepen in a pout of irritable suffering. Nodoka felt her smile widened considerably more, and stifled back her own snicker. The silent tension that had hung over the dining room was starting to lift.

Ranma huffed finally and replied, ignoring her father. 'To answer you're question, no we were not arguing with one another,' she hesitated for a second with a slight twinge of pink appearing across her cheeks. 'We just had some things that needed to be resolved between us, that's all…'

It caught Nodoka by surprise when a slight twinge of rosy pink spread across the red head's cheeks and she looked down at word self consciously. A few seconds later she was even more surprised when she put two and two together, Akane's flustered state and Ranma's sudden shy embarrassment forming likely only meant a couple a things given their history. She knew the two of them had been dancing around the subject of themselves for a while now, and she knew it was only a matter of time, for the sake of their friendship till they figured out where each of them stood.

Yet, she was left to wonder if this had finally come up because that's what had been bothering Ranma for the last few weeks, or did it come up because of whatever it was that had been bothering her?

If the later reason was the true one, than how was it related…?

'Everything is ok though?' she asked seriously, concerned. 'You don't want to let these sort of things fester out of control.'

Ranma nodded slowly. 'Yeah, we worked it out.'

'That's good then,' she replied with genuine relief, pleased that they had. 'It's better to work these things out sooner rather than later.'

Ranma nodded automatically, but there was still a conflicted look in her cobalt gem, which only served to strengthen Nodoka's belief that she was right. For whatever reason this had come up, it was linked to whatever it was that was bothering her. Whatever resolving their relationship had left her with though still weighed heavily on the young red head. She just appeared to be more nervous than troubled by it now, and there were still dark circles that hung under eyes from the increasing lack of sleep she was getting to. It worried Nodoka.

Dinner past quickly, with the mood considerably lighter than it had been when they started. Ranma had regained some of her appetite when her father told her they were going to have a training match, something Ranma showed little interest in at first, distracted as she was. However, her father could be a master conman when he wanted to be, and Ranma's ego was easily wounded. As soon as Genma implied she had lost her edge as a martial artist she slammed down four helpings of stir fry and practically dragged her father outside to prove him wrong.

While those two went out back to train, Nodoka collected the bowls and cups and took them into the kitchen to wash up, listening to the two of them exchange blows and taunts. As she washed the bowls and cups and savoured the soothing warmth of the hot water, she kept glancing up at a tin jar on one of the shelves. Thinking about what was inside it. She chewed the inside of her cheek slightly, feeling uncomfortable even thinking about it.

If it gave Ranma the opportunity to clear her head so she could think clearly, then it was good for her; but it left such a horrible taste in her mouth though. She didn't feel right about it. It wasn't right, but at the same time she didn't want to see Ranma suffering… if this helped her though…

She sighed heavily.

When she walked back through the dining room she carried a tray in her hands with a pot of tea and couple of tea cups. She was just starting to kneel when Ranma sprung into the air, just above her father's leaping kick, and with a lightning quick kick of her own she planted her foot in her father's abdomen and sent him crashing into the koi pond with a tremendous splash. The red head landed with a light graceful turn on the ball of her foot and a triumphant, satisfied smirk of victory.

'Lost my edge my ass!' she snorted as her father poked his fluffy head out of the pond and shook the water from his black and white fur. 'What do you think of that old man!'

Genma pulled a sign out from behind his back 'Best two out three!'

'You could make it the best two hundred out of five hundred, I'll still beat you every time!' Ranma made a face at him.

'I think that's enough for tonight,' Nodoka interrupted him with amusement when she saw him about to protest. 'You'll catch the death of you if you keep fighting in this cold with your fur soaked through like that. Go have a hot shower before you freeze to death.'

Genma glared daggers at Ranma and spun his sign around and pointed at her. 'We'll settle this later!'

The panda climbed out of the pond and hunched over, and shook the water from the rest of his fur. With more incoherent grumbling he walked into the house with Ranma flaunting her victory with a satisfied smug look on her face, past a smiling Nodoka who couldn't believe how weird their little family had become. She could only imagine what a sight it must have been for anyone that may have been looking into the back yard at that moment and seeing an annoyed grumbling panda stomping into the house.

'Ranma, join me for some tea,' Nodoka beckoned her over.

The red head gave her a puzzled look as she approached hesitantly. 'This isn't supposed to be some sort of mother daughter bonding thing is it?'

Now it was Nodoka's turn to look puzzled. 'No…why?'

'Because this was Kasumi's answer to everything after I woke up and found out I was stuck this way,' Ranma explained calmly as she knelt on the other side. Then she shrugged self consciously. 'I'm not saying it was bad. It was nice.'

Nodoka smiled, understanding as she started pouring the tea. 'Well as you no doubt know by now, tea is good for relaxing the nerves during times of stress. You were going through a hard time and certainly stressed. You needed those times she gave you.'

'I know,' Ranma also smiled in an appreciative way.

Nodoka handed her a cup. 'And you can deny it if you want, but I know you've been stressed about something lately.' Ranma hesitated as she raised the cup to her lips, but Nodoka continued. 'I don't expect you to tell me if you really don't want to though, I know you're more than capable of working out your own problems by yourself if you really want. If it has anything to do with your new situation though and you feel too embarrassed to ask or talk about with anyone, then you shouldn't be, alright? I'm always here to help you if you need it.'

For the longest time Ranma didn't say anything, she just stared down at the cup in her hand with a frown. Nodoka worried maybe she had said too much and that she might clam up even more. But, then Ranma looked at her with appreciation.

'It does, have something to do with my new situation,' she admitted calmly. 'But, you don't need to worry about me.'

Nodoka leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead and smiled. 'I'm your mother. It doesn't matter what you do in life, I'll always worry about you sweetie.'

Ranma returned the smile and drank her tea; Nodoka stifled a wince and turned to her own cup and drank down the liquid, They sat there for awhile, enjoying the tea and staring at the stars, though her attention never strayed far from the red head as she cast weary glances at her, but Ranma was far away, deep in thought and didn't notice.

When they had finished the tea, Nodoka yawned and started to rise with the tray. 'I'm going to head to bed dear. Don't stay up too much longer ok? I know it's not a school night, but you need your rest just like everyone else.'

'I won't,' Ranma nodded.

Nodoka gave her one last lingering long, and then turned and took the empty cups back into the kitchen, and then went up stairs, trying to ignore her accusing conscience…

…

… …

…

Ranma didn't go to bed though.

She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep if she went to bed right then, not with everything spinning around her head the way it was. She would have only laid there unable to think about anything else except that which had constantly been on her mind for weeks. She had decided that maybe a run would clear her mind, she thought, hoping the fresh air would help her think properly.

It had been dramatically colder when she slipped outside with silent foot steps. She shivered and rubbed her arms and then stared up the clear moonless sky at the sea of stars glittering brightly. Aside from the cold it was a perfect night for a run, and she would be back before anyone noticed she was gone.

Not being like most people, a run for her was across roof tops and leaping the wide gaps of streets. There was no better way to keep her acrobatic reflexes in top shape than a good run across the Nerima Ward. As she ran, she would, flip and bound off obstacles that would have made even Olympic medallists blanch in fear. She landed on the narrow rounded end of a pole, balancing on one foot, and then was gone again like a cat in the night. Nothing was off limits for her though as she soared through the air, the wind barrelling past her before she landed and sprinted off again.

All the while she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss with Akane. At once the feel of her lips against Akane's was amazing and she cursed herself for never having really kissed her properly when she was still a guy. At the same time though, it just didn't feel the same either. It didn't feel bad or wrong, but it definitely different than it should have been. Akane's reaction hadn't really been surprising though; really she didn't know what she had been expecting her former fiancée to say or do though, but neither could she have stop herself from doing.

Part of her felt foolish for it, but another part of her felt… satisfied.

It was done now, there nothing she could do to change. It was something that she needed to know though, for her own peace of mind. Whatever happened from this point on she wouldn't be held back by the nagging question of perhaps there could have been something between them, something more than a close friendship. She couldn't move on with that question hanging over her head for the rest of her life. She needed the closure.

She leapt on to a telegraph pole, sitting a couple of feet above the power lines that buzzed and hummed with the deadly electric power surging from the transistors they were connected to. Her chest and shoulders rose and fell rapidly as she stopped to rest and catch her breath; her heart was racing and there was only a slight trickle of sweat running down her temples, dripping off chin and collecting on her collar bone as her body tried to regulate her heating.

Akane had made her choice, and so had she.

She was going to talk to Ryoga tomorrow.

Already she was anxiously trying to predict how he would react, what he would say, what would happen afterwards. It was frightening. Kasumi was right though; at some point she was going to have to take a risk to find out, and she couldn't keep running from it anymore. She couldn't keep hiding the truth from those around her and pretending that it was nothing.

Whatever happened after, she would deal with it, like she always did.

All of a sudden the world started to spin around her and she felt a heaviness filling her head behind her eyes. She wobbled and quickly put her hand down to steady herself, while the other one went to the side of her head and groaned.

She gasped as another disorientating wave washed over the top of her. _'__Urgh,__w-wh-what__'__s__…__what__'__s__going__on?__' _

The strength was suddenly rushing out through her legs and she pitched sideways with a shrill ear piecing shriek as her hands clawed for something to grab on to. It was too late though, she was already falling away from her perch, and stared in wide eyed horror as the power lines rushed up to meet her. It was only with a last second desperate twist that she managed to avoid them, but it was only by a hairs width at best. The red head tumbled through the air with the world spinning around her like she was on a carrousel, but like a cat her body twisted so her legs were beneath her.

She landed in a crouch and nearly pitched forward as jarring pain shot up from her ankles. Her heart was racing with rising panic as she forced herself to stand on unsteady legs and leant against the wall encircling a house. Her eyes kept trying to close despite her best efforts to stop them and she could feel herself growing rapidly weak with every passing second. When she went to take a step forward she stumbled and collapsed on her knees.

Her head lulled back and she stared up at the sky, the number of stars reduced to a small handful by the overhead street lamp that surrounded her like a stage's spotlight. Her mind was racing, trying to grasp for answers as darkness crept in quickly from the corners of her vision, swallowing her vision up and plunging her into a world of darkness as she shoulder first against the wall….

…

… …

…

Ryoga wandered the streets in silent suffering, inwardly cursing his rotten luck and non existent sense of direction. He had walked the streets of Nerima so many times by now that he should have been able to find his way around the place without getting lost; assuming he was even still in Nerima that was. For all he knew he could have been half way to China by now! No, he was sure it was still Nerima, he kept passing places that looked familiar and he was pretty sure he had passed the Nekohanten earlier, although that had been before the sun went down.

He had only wandered away from his camp because a cat had decided that this compass would make a great new toy and had run off with it. He made the mistake of chasing after it, and by the time it had made its escape he was well and truly lost, and the damn fur ball still had his compass! Not that it had ever really done him any good.

He sighed wearily, thinking maybe he was starting to lose his mind. Earlier that morning he had woken with the distinct creepy sensation that someone had been watching him sleep, and the tent door had been left flapping open, even though he remembered closing it the night before. No one had been around though, leaving to wonder if he was just becoming paranoid. After all, why anyone would want to spy on him of all people was way beyond his imagination.

Inwardly he was starting to think returning to Nerima had been the wrong decision, thinking instead he should have just returned home. He hadn't even seen anyone he knew except for day he got back and saw Ukyo and Akane out with Ranma a couple of weeks earlier.

Ryoga blushed in spite of himself as an image of the three of them popped into his mind; they had all looked amazing, for Ranma though it went beyond the way she looked, it was more the air about her, devoid of the dark emotions that had been lingering to her. She had life in her again, energy and spirit burning bright like she was ready to burst! It had caught him by surprise, and even more surprisingly, he felt… happy for her. Even if she had acted weirdly before running off like she did, leaving Ukyo and Akane equally confused. But then again she had been through a lot after all; she was entitled to some eccentric moments.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when he returned though, but since he had it felt as if he didn't belong, like he was out of place and all alone. This wasn't a new feeling to him though. When someone travelled around as much as he did by themselves it was easy to accept that loneliness as part of life, but it had only increased since Akari had broken up with him. Although he was beginning to wonder if they had really been together in the first place. Frankly he couldn't blame her for ending things, not with how it had been lately between them. He had tried to make her everything in his life and failed miserably. Maybe it was the kami trying to tell him he wasn't meant to find someone to spend the rest of his life with…

Maybe cutting his losses was the best thing he could do and simply leave Nerima and start anew somewhere else. It was easy to see that nothing had really changed in the short amount of time he had been gone, but everything felt different somehow.

Or maybe it was him that was different now…

'Whoa, get a load of this!'

Ryoga paused in mid step, frowning as he looked around for the source of the voice, but found the streets around him completely deserted.

'Wow, she's pretty cute man,' came another voice. 'Check out that rack!'

'Be a shame to let that go to waste.'

He frowned even further at the following chuckles of deviance as he snapped his head around in the direction he had been heading in the first place, and hurried towards the street corner. There was something about the tone of the voices that he really didn't like the sound of; somehow it reminded him of a pair of vultures circling their dying prey, about to gore themselves.

Ryoga rounded the corner and sure enough, there were two men standing there, looming over a crouch girl concealed between them, only partially visible between one of set of legs. One of the men had his back turned to him, but he could see the leering grin on the other's face as he stared down at the girl.

'What the hell do you think you're doing! Get away fro–' the two men spun around in alarm at the sound of his voice, like children caught doing something they shouldn't have, and the rest of his sentence died in his throat as he blinked in surprise at what he saw. '…Ranma?'

Her eyes were closed and she was slumped against the wall like she had fallen against it. She wasn't moving, sending a cold sliver of ice, sliding down Ryoga's spine as he heart caught with fear, until he saw her chest slowly expand and contract with soft breaths. The men produced small knifes from inside their jackets and gave him what he supposed, were meant to be menacing looks. He looked back and forth between them and her several times, his mind slowly working to connect together what he was seeing; and then he felt something inside him go cold with rage as he look at the men, sure that they were to blame.

Ryoga glared at them coldly. 'What did you do to her?'

'Hey kid, get out of here!' one of them snapped. 'If you know what's good for you punk!'

'Unless you wanna be gutted like a pig,' the other joined in.

Ryoga took a step towards them and snarled. 'What did you do to her!'

Before they could react he charged at them with a bellowing roar, his face a mask of twisted rage as he crossed the short distance between them with blinding speed and attacked without mercy. They didn't stand a chance. He slammed one in the shoulder with his fist and heard a sickening yet satisfying crack of bones snapping under the force. The men let looks a blood curdling scream, he as soared back dozens of feet through the air and slammed into a lamp post, buckling the pole over him and dropping to the ground unconscious.

Ryoga whipped his head around with a lion like a growl rumbling out of him.

The other man trembled and staggered backwards, pressing himself against the wall in trembling terror. 'Whoa man! We didn't do anything to her! We found the bitch already like this, I swear!'

He grabbed the man by the throat and slammed against the wall, pinning him there with his other arm raised in a balled fist, ready to strike. The man squeezed his eye shut, blubbering incoherently. Ryoga felt the rage building him, his mind spewing out all the dark and unspeakable things they had or were planning to do to her. It was like black fire burning through his body, filling him with such anger that he hadn't felt for so long. Every ounce of his being screamed at him to punish them for being so depraved that they would prey upon a defenceless girl, even if that girl was Ranma of all people. How dare they, the demons inside him snarled with righteous anger; destroy them both so they can't do this again!

With a roar that was nearly drowned out by the terrified scream of the closed eyed man, he punched his fist through the wall to the side of the man's head. When the low life scumbag opened his eyes he quaked and quivered like a small child at the dangerously glaring eyes of the dark haired teenager

'If I find out you did hurt her in anyway, I don't care how long it takes me, I will hunt both of you down and break every single bone in your bodies!' he snarled through clenched teeth. 'Now get your friend and get out of here before I change my mind!'

Almost pissing his pants, the man didn't need to be told twice as he ducked under Ryoga's arm and ran to his unconscious would be partner in crime. He hurled the man up and started hobbling off as best her could, as fast as he could. Ryoga didn't take his eyes off them until they were well out of sight, then he turned his attention to Ranma.

He knelt down and shook her shoulder worriedly. 'Hey, Ranma can you hear me? Are you alright?'

But she didn't respond; she was almost completely motionless.

That's when he noticed the snot bubble that kept expanding and shrinking out of one nose and the trail of drool dribbling down the side her mouth and snoring softly. It was cute in its own way. Then, suddenly she snorted and rolled sideways so her back was against the wall and she was splayed out like a main course on a buffet table.

Ryoga balked in confusion and disbelief.

She was sleeping!

'Hey, wake up you dummy!' he shook her again, and frowned when she didn't. He shook her harder. 'Wake up Ranma, this isn't funny.'

The only reply he got was a sharp snort and a rumbling snore. He stared at her critically trying to figure out how the hell she had just fallen asleep on the side of the street like this. Really, how careless could she possibly be? Anything could have happened to her in this state; and, it almost had he reminded himself darkly as he glared in the direction the men had gone. That wasn't even considering the cold either, and sure enough when he felt touched her hand it was almost as cold as ice. How long had she been sitting there he wondered.

Without really needing to think about it, he scooped her up in his arms and tried to think what direction her house was in; blushing slightly as he tried to ignore her burying her head in the crook of his arm, seeking warmth from his long sleeved shirt. He'd nearly forgotten just how tiny and light she really was. He looked around self consciously half expecting to see someone there waiting to catch him in this somewhat compromising situation. Inwardly he wondered what someone would think if they were to see the two of them like this.

Ryoga ran and leapt onto a roof and then leapt into the air again, quickly scanning the surrounding houses as he hung suspended for a second in mid air. He may not have known his way around, but he knew what Ranma's place looked like at least. If he could spot it while jumping, then it would make getting her home all that much easier. There were so many houses though, spreading out all around them; he worried that he would just end up going in the wrong direction and never find it.

He paused, perched on lamp post; it was like escaping from the crazy monks all over again. Not knowing what way to go, the terror of accidentally going the wrong way and knowing that she was depending on him to get her home. He had never been more scared in his entire life up until that point; now, he felt like he had come full circle. Maybe the circumstances weren't dire as they were then, but he couldn't ignore the feelings they elicited inside him; no matter how hard he had tried to push them from his mind.

Clenching his jaw tight he leapt off again.

Ryoga was surprised when he found the Saotome house with relative ease; it took him little over an hour to do it, but he was still proud of himself when he walked up to the front door. After all it could have easily taken a lot longer.

His frown returned though when he found the door locked and all the lights off. He shouldn't have been surprised though, it was late and Ranma's parents would easily be asleep by now and he didn't particularly want to explain why he was knocking at their door in the middle of the night with their _daughter_asleep in his arms. He contemplated just leaving her in front of the door, knocking as loud as possible without breaking it down and then running off before they answered it, let them deal with whatever was wrong.

No, he shook his head; he couldn't do that, it wasn't right.

He took a step back and glanced up. A second later he hopped on to the roof and crept across it. It only occurred to him when he was already up there that this was an even worse situation if anyone happened to glance out their window they would have seen a young man carrying an unconscious girl across the roof like some kind of crazy kidnapper.

It didn't take him long to find Ranma's bedroom. It was the only one with the window wide open and the curtains billowing softly out through it like ghostly translucent, rolling waves that caught the moonlight making them seem to glow. He hung off the side of the roof by one hand, dangling over empty air and cradling Ranma in his free arm. Without giving it a second thought he swung smoothly through the opened window and landed with a crouch.

He smirked at his own cleverness and skill, thinking that not many people could claim to be able to hang one handed from a roof with a teenage girl in the other arm and still be able to swing smoothly through an open window without hurting themselves.

As he was about to rise, he felt something soft bunched up under his hand and frowned curiously as he picked it up. He lifted it up with two fingers and blinked a couple of times; then his face went suddenly bright red when he realized he was holding a pair of Ranma's panties.

Ryoga yelped and flung them away abruptly, as if they were going to bite him and then a second later his free hand went to his mouth in horror, too late to stop the yelp. He held his breath anxiously as he stood there for several long minutes, half expecting an angry three hundred pound panda to come crashing in followed by a homicidal, katana swinging housewife! This would be an even worse situation to explain, and he could feel his heart pounding faster with worry and fear; that was assuming Mrs Saotome didn't cut his head off before he could even attempt to explain what he was doing in Ranma's room in the middle of the night.

When they didn't though he sighed in relief and crept towards the bed, noting with dismay how untidy Ranma was. Aside from clothes that had just been discarded on the floor her bras and panties hung over the edge of their draw where she hadn't bothered to stuff them back in properly. The floor itself was a minefield of discarded undergarments that he took deliberate care to avoid, and tried not to stare.

He just wanted to get out of there.

Ryoga gently lowered the deep sleeping red head onto the soft mattress and slid the pillow under her head, all the while scared that she was suddenly going to wake up and kill him. He looked down at her, thinking she looked so peaceful and relaxed, like the last three months hadn't happened.

After a short while he turned with a weary sigh, to leave.

And came to an abrupt stop when a small hand grabbed his wrist. His eyes went wide with a slight tick under one and his heart froze in cold terror. Slowly he turned around, half expecting to see a pair of blue eyes blazing with raging fury. Instead he let out an explosive breath of relief when he saw that she was still sleeping.

He looked down at his wrist to see that she had simply grabbed it in her sleep. With delicate care he went to remove her hand. However he frowned when he found that her grip was like iron. He tried to pry her fingers loose, but they refused to budge and when he tried to slip his hand free her grip only tighten more. Growling with frustration he tried shaking her hand off with increasing desperation, and then without warning she rolled over and punched him square in the face!

Everything froze for a moment, until Ranma half snored half snorted and her punching arm dropped back to the bed. Ryoga grounded his teeth as he stared down at her, biting back the scream of frustration as he tried again to pry her fingers loose, but again they refused to budge.

'No, no, no, no, no!' he whispered harshly under his breath, half terrified half impressed by the incredible strength of her grip as he tried to slip his fingers between his wrist and her hand, but to no avail. He growled in her ear. 'Damn it Ranma, let go of me you idiot!'

Not really expecting her to reply, Ryoga sat on the side of the bed with a great sigh of irritation and defeat. With his free hand he rubbed the bridge of his nose; he could break her hold on his wrist, but it would probably mean actually breaking her hand to do it and he wasn't sure he wanted to risk that. She couldn't possibly hold on to his hand all night though, he reasoned, he just needed to wait calmly for her to let go by herself and then he could slip away like nothing had ever happened and he could put this ludicrous night behind him.

He shot her withering glare, but he couldn't hold it when he looked at her and saw her shiver slightly. Memories of their escape from the monks came unbidden from the back of his mind, memories of her shivering and trembling in his arms, seeking warmth and safety. His cheeks colour slightly as more memories played themselves out and he shook his head rapidly and muttered a curse under his breath.

With some difficulty he pulled the blanket out from under her small body and covered her with it.

He yawned as he leant back against the bed head, and whispered.

'You are such a pain in the ass Saotome.'

…

… …

…

_Everything was so warm and wonderful, bursting with energy and blanketed in golden white light. Ranma basked in it as though she were sunbathing on a beach of white sand, without having to worry about burning to a crisp in the process. It was so beautiful, and peaceful; she could have stayed there forever. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to stress over, no fear of anything..._

_She sat with her legs across his lap and her head resting against his shoulder with contentment surging through her. The bad things in the forest around them no longer worried her. The burning fever that weakened her and the bruises that battered and hurt her body no longer did. Nor did the cold darkness exist anymore either. _

_It was just them._

_She grinned up at his snoozing face, one arm lazily wrapped around her narrow waist as if to protect her. From what she couldn't even begin to imagine, not that she needed to be protected though but it was the thought that count she supposed, and he meant well._

_She leant up, cupped his cheek with one hand and sealed her lips against his..._

Ranma started to stir from the dream, feeling the inevitable steady encroach of reality pushing its way back into her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, clinging desperately to the warmth and peacefulness of her dream. Her entire body felt heavy with an amazing sense of relaxation. She couldn't even bring herself to flinch and shy away from the images of the dream, disturbing as it was deep down inside. It made her want to smile and stretch out like a cat.

Best of all, it was the weekend, no school; she didn't have to get out of bed if she didn't want to.

Her thoughts paused inwardly in confusion, jumbled and groggy, still heavy with sleep laying on top her mind and dulling her senses. She couldn't have been in bed, because she had gone for a walk; but, she must have come home because she was definitely lying on a bed and it certainly felt like her own. Her mind relaxed and she let it drift, hoping for sleep to take her again.

That's when she felt a warm breath across her mouth, tickling her lips as something grasped the top her hip gently.

Ranma's fluttered open, refusing to at first until she forced them to, blurred and unfocused, sensitive to the stinging light, making them water. She blinked a couple of times with a sleepy frown, confused and slow minded; it took a while for her mind to register that she was staring into the face of another person. Then, everything came into sharper focus and she recognized the black and yellow bandana and Ryoga's face.

Her eyes widened dramatically and her pupils shrank to the size of pin pricks.

Outside people stopped and turned at the ear piercing shriek that cut across the entire Nerima ward.

Ranma was frozen in place as she screamed. Ryoga's eyes flew open in an instant, confused and in shock; and then, realizing where he was, he started to scream as well. Both of them jumped out of the bed like the air had exploded between them. Ranma landed in a crouch on her desk, as he landed and stumbled backwards into the wall, nearly knocking over a book shelf like the big clumsy oath he was. Neither of them ceased their screaming.

'What are you doing in my room!' she demanded shrilly in wide eyed terror.

Before Ryoga could even gather his wits to form a reply, the bedroom door flew open and her parents burst into the room in alarm. Whatever they were going to say caught in their throats as they halted abruptly in confusion. Before either of them could say anything, Ryoga used the momentary distraction and turned and ran, and dove head first out the window, then reappeared seconds later hopping across roof tops, disappearing into the distance as fast as his legs would take him.

…

… …

…

Ranma's head made a loud thwack when it hit the table.

She groaned in complete and utter red faced embarrassment as she buried her head amongst her arms, trying to find some way to will herself to disappear. It had taken her a while to calm down, her heart racing with adrenalin fuelled terror and mind numbing confusion and questions she couldn't even begin to answer. Now she couldn't stop herself from reliving those waking moments and the not unpleasant sensations of the dream that sent tingling shivers dancing up her spine; they kept playing in her mind over and over again.

That didn't stop her from wanting to strangle him though!

Her emotions kept shifting wildly between feelings of indignant rage and strange, overwhelming feelings that she couldn't even begin to sort through. What had he even been doing in her bed! Her bed! They'd slept together in the same room, the same bed, and it wasn't that big. Ranma shuddered; they were almost cuddling and she wasn't entirely sure that the kiss in her dream had been just in the dream… She had to wonder if Akane was ever this confused when she used to whack her with her mallet?

With a suffering sigh she lightly banged her head against the table repeatedly.

Her mother rubbed her on the back reassuringly, as she sat down next to her. 'Now, now dear, it's going to be alright. It's not the end of the world.'

Ranma almost wished it were.

'I don't even understand what happened!' she said, lost and confused. 'Last thing I remember was I had gone up to my room after the tea, but I needed to clear my head so I decided to go for a run. Then, all of a sudden I was just smacked by this overwhelming tiredness. I tried as best I could to keep my eyes open, but I just couldn't. I passed out on the side walk. I just can't figure out what made that happen.'

When she looked around she was surprised to find that her mother looked strangely mortified, and was slow to cover up the expression of horror; but it was too late for that.

Ranma frowned, even more confused. '_You_ know what happened?'

Her mother fiddled with a fold of her kimono sheepishly, looking entirely like a guilty child caught red handed doing something they knew they shouldn't.

'I may have slipped something into your tea,' her mother replied quietly.

'What!' Ranma almost shot to her feet. 'What do you mean you slipped me something! What did you slip me?'

'It was a sleeping remedy that Kasumi acquired from that lovely old woman, Cologne. She got it when you were first dealing with your current situation and were having problems sleeping properly. But, before she got that chance to use it you and your father had that big fight and you came,' Nodoka explained. 'Then, she gave it to me just in case you needed it. Last night was the first time I had used it though I promise.'

Ranma was literally speechless; her mouth hung open like she was about to say something but the words just wouldn't come. She could only stare at her mother in disbelief.

Finally, all she could manage was. 'You drugged me…?'

'Well you were having trouble sleeping. You have been for weeks and I was worried about you,' Nodoka replied defensively. 'I didn't want to use it, but whatever it is that's been troubling you wasn't letting you sleep properly and I thought you could use a proper night's sleep to get a clearer perspective on the problem.'

Ranma pinched the bridge of nose in frustration. 'I _had_ made a decision about what to do before I even came down for dinner!'

Nodoka blinked and stared silently for a long time, gnawing lightly on her lower lip, and finally replied with a strained and nervous.

'Oh…'

Ranma could only stare in utter helpless disbelief, completely speechless once more before letting her head hit the table again. Some of what had happened last night was starting to make sense though; if she had fallen asleep on the side of street and Ryoga just happened to be walking by he wasn't likely to just keep walking and leave her there. He must have brought her home when he found her, a feat impressive by itself since he managed to find their house. He was just trying to be a good person. Her eye ticked irritably; he was trying to be chivalrous. It still begged the question though, as to why he was in her damn bed though!

She had to wonder what she had done to deserve this.

Sitting outside on the veranda her father was lounging back, laughing again, as he had been on and off since both her parents had crashed into her room at the call of her screams. He made it quite clear that he found the entire situation extremely hilarious.

Both mother and daughter glared dangerously at him.

'Genma dear,' Nodoka said tersely, through clenched teeth.

He chuckled as he looked back at them. 'Yes?'

'Go away!'

Catching the hint but still chuckling, Genma got up and disappeared towards the training hall; Ranma's frosty glare didn't stop following him until he was well out of sight, all the while thinking how easy it would be for her to close the distance between them and smack him stupid.

'Wonder if he'll still be laughing when I shave all his fur off,' she scathingly wondered aloud.

'Don't let him get to you,' her mother told her soothingly; she couldn't help but detect a hint of amusement even in her mothers tone. 'I'm sorry about slipping the remedy into your tea dear, I shouldn't have done it. I was just so worried about you, but that's no excuse, I know.'

Ranma shot her an annoyed look; she should have been furious with her mother and well within her right to be, and she wanted to be angry, but she found it hard to stay angry when she could see that her mother was feeling genuinely bad about it. With a weary sigh she relented.

'It's fine. I'm not happy about it, but I understand why you did,' she frowned down at the table. 'I haven't been exactly forthcoming lately.'

Nodoka gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. 'We all have a need to have secrets every now and then, but the thing about bottling things up is that eventually the bottle is gonna fill up and overflow. That's when they start affecting our everyday lives and they cease to be secrets. You have to learn when a secret is worth keeping to yourself, and when it's going to consume you like whatever you've been trying to keep to yourself has been doing.'

Ranma nodded slowly.

Her mother continued gently. 'Please, you can tell me what's going on dear.'

Ranma looked around at her with hesitant eyes but knew straight away that the act was over; she couldn't avoid this any longer. With a reluctant sigh of defeat she started to spill her guts. She started from the very beginning, explaining about her kissing him when she was under the influence of the fever, to getting her memories back after defeating the brainwashing. She explained about the feelings she had been having, how they had been driving her nuts and the events of the night before when she had kissed Akane. She even admitted to talking to Ukyo, Kasumi and Nabiki about it. The entire time her mother listened varying displays of surprise and shock, her eyes widening several times.

When she was done, the two of them sat there in a long, drawn out silence as she allowed her mother to process everything she had just been told. Ranma watched her face for any indications of what she was thinking, but to her credit her mother's face remained completely impassive the entire time as they sat there quietly. She surprised Ranma simply by _not_ jumping up and down and squealing and thanking the kami.

'Well,' Nodoka said finally. 'I'm starting to understand why you've been so… distracted, lately.'

'That's an understatement,' Ranma nearly laughed.

Her mother smiled sympathetically. 'You've been going through a lot dear. It's perfectly fine to be distracted and confused. Though I do understand why you were hesitant to talk about this, I really wish you hadn't tried to shoulder all this by yourself when you have so many people you can turn to for help and support. I know you talk to Ukyo and Kasumi and Nabiki, but you shouldn't be scared to come to me.'

'I know,' the red head nodded softly. 'It's just hard to ask for help when you don't understand what it is you're going through. As it is I didn't want to talk to those three about it, it just sort of happened. Not to mention I didn't really want these feelings in the first place. I was hoping that if I was patient I could just ignore them and they would just go away, but they only got worse. I don't know what I'm feelings. I don't know if I'm in love with him or if it's just a crush. I just know I can't stop thinking about him, about the kiss and the way it makes me feel when I do. I know it shouldn't matter, I mean it happened when I was suffering from the fever and delusional, but if that's true, then I shouldn't be as affected as I am,' she sighed and put her head in her hands. 'It's driving me crazy.'

Nodoka wrapped her arms around her and hugged her comfortingly.

'You're not crazy dear,' she told her. 'It's ok and perfectly normal for you to feel confused and conflicted over something like this, especially in your situation. Everyone feels that way when it comes to matters of the heart. You can't tell me that you didn't feel that way about Akane.'

Ranma nodded somewhat reluctantly after a moment of thought. 'Things were always confusing with her.'

'And I'm sure she felt the same way about you,' her mother smiled added good naturedly. 'Do you think it was easy for me to love your father?'

Ranma couldn't help but laugh at that.

'My point is,' her mother continued. 'That it's a good thing to be confused and conflicted. When you think you know without a shadow of a doubt that you're in love you end up blinding yourself to everything else around you, stuff that can be important.'

Ranma just sat there, nodding reluctantly as she listened. She wasn't sure if she would agree that it was a good thing. Part of her would rather know with absolute certainty one way or the other, and give her mind brain a rest for a while. She was tired of running herself around in circles.

'Go talk to Ryoga,' Nodoka told her bluntly. 'For your own peace of mind if nothing else.'

The red head squirmed uncomfortably like she was trying to hide within herself, and reluctantly admitted. 'I'm afraid…'

Her mother smiled reassuringly. 'Oh, honey. It's ok to be scared. Being scared, that's what makes things so interesting.' Nodoka could see the unconvinced look in her daughter's eyes. 'I think there's something very important that you haven't stopped to think about.'

Ranma looked at her sharply in confusion and a little worry. 'Wha… what are you talking about? What important thing?

Smiling patiently with genuine amusement, Nodoka explained. 'You keep talking about how you kissed him, how it makes you feel. But, it takes two to kiss and you weren't the only one there.'

Ranma frowned in confusion as her eyes darted back forth as her mothers words bounced around inside her mind, trying to make sense of them. Then, after a long heavy silence, her eyes widened abruptly in horror and her face turned several shades of deep burning crimson as she looked up at her mother. She had been so caught up in her own fears and insecurities that she hadn't even stop to think that Ryoga knew. He had known, this entire time he had been walking around he had known what happened between them.

She put her head in her hands, groaning.

'I'll always be proud of you dear, but you can be incredibly dense sometimes.' Nodoka kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

'Go talk to Ryoga.'

…

… …

…

Every step felt like her feet had been encase in concrete blocks as she walked slowly and hesitantly along the street. Her heart thumped viciously in her chest as her mind raced uncontrollably. All the courage she had mustered following the talk with her mother seemed like it was trying find a way to flood out of her, making each step she took excruciatingly hard. It was difficult to keep all the courage sucking thoughts and fears at bay, the only that kept her going was the knowledge that she needed to get this over and done with.

Inwardly she kept berating herself angrily; how could she not have stopped to consider that Ryoga knew the entire time about the kiss? She felt so stupid. Of course he knew about it! Even before she had gotten her memories of their escape from the monks back, she had noticed that he looked at her differently, treated her differently in the few exchanges they'd had up until then. Maybe some part of her was just hoping that the kiss had been a dream, a fevered delusion that she would be able to put behind her and move on with her life as it had been.

She could only shake her head at herself.

Silently she shivered as she thought back to that time behind the school when she'd had her emotional breakdown and she had attacked him out of irrational rage. Her body had reacted of its own accord to his closeness when he had forced her to stop; she hadn't really had long to think about what Dr. Tofu had told her, since she had been kidnapped by the Preservation Society so soon afterwards, but she had convinced herself that what he had told her was right. She had convinced herself that the reaction had been a by-product of pent up stress and hormonal imbalance. Now she found herself thinking that her body was reacting because it was remembering the kiss, even if her mind hadn't at the time. She had felt an attraction that she had tried desperately to ignore and had succeeded in not thinking about it until now thanks to her whole ordeal being kidnapped and all.

Now it was all coming back to her so clearly. She hadn't disliked what she had felt; being that close to him and it had frightened her profoundly.

Maybe even when she was under the influence of Yukino's brainwashing, picking Ryoga as the target of her infatuations hadn't been entirely random but her subconscious warping her decisions. After all Ryoga hadn't been the only boy she'd had contact with during that time, but her brainwashed, uninhibited persona had gone straight for him like a bear to honey. Yukino had said it herself, she could open the mind to suggestions and manipulate what was already there but she couldn't recreate the mind, not entirely. What she had done had allowed the uninhibited persona to access those memories that had previously been locked away, and it had latched on to the memory of the kiss and warped it.

Ranma was starting to get the distinct feeling that through all the trials and ordeals she had been forced to face and deal with over the last few months had all been leading up to this.

She felt it so clearly in her heart, and it terrified her.

When she arrived at the vacant lot where Ryoga _lived_ when he was in Nerima, it felt as if she had been walking for an eternity and her hands were starting to shake a little as she approached the barren square of unused land. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and settle her nerves, but it didn't work; she wasn't sure anything could really.

The scene she found at the vacant lot didn't help.

Ryoga was pacing back forth across the campsite muttering angrily to himself, all flustered and his face red with embarrassment. Ranma immediately felt a heavy sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but forced herself forward anyway. She wasn't going to let nerves or fear get the better of her this time. She knew this had to be done; she had decided as much the night before; that being said, it didn't stop the nervous butterflies fluttering in terror inside her stomach.

This wasn't going to be easy.

'Ryoga,' she called when she was less than a dozen feet away.

The dark haired teenager whirled around in surprise, and then his face melted into a steaming mess of thin lipped flustered anger and frustration. It startled the red head as she stared at him; she had seen him angry before, she had seen enraged beyond all reason. But this, this was something else.

'Go away Saotome!' he growled and turned away.

Her brow knitted together in a frown. 'No, we need to ta–'

'_Go__away!_' he yelled, before muttering harshly as he turned away. 'I have nothing to say to you.'

Ranma winced when he yelled and looked around anxiously, half expecting onlookers; the vacant lot wasn't exactly private. She would have rather done this somewhere else but see how agitated he was she knew she wasn't going to get that. She knew it was now or never.

'Well that's too bad,' she replied sharply as she followed after him. 'Because I'm not going anywhere. Why are you so angry anyway? If anyone should be angry here it should be me! You were in _my_ bed after all damn it!'

Ryoga turned abruptly and advanced on her rapidly, forcing her to take a step backwards or risk him crashing her over as he pointed accusingly at her. 'I was trying to do the right thing you self absorbed little brat! When I found you on the side of the street, two guys were ready to play hide the sushi roll with you!' Ranma's eyes widened dramatically and her face turned bright scarlet, but Ryoga continued before she could cut in. 'When I took you home, _after_ chasing them off you grabbed on to my wrist and wouldn't let go! It was either sit there and wait for you to let go or break your hand to make you. It's not my fault I fell asleep; I'd been walking around all day!'

After a moment stand off between the two of them he turned away again, muttering angrily under his breath, leaving Ranma standing there in shocked silence, having been put in her place; she hadn't come there to berate him about the bed incident. She had figured there was a perfectly good explanation, after all she knew from personal experience what it was like to be judged and found guilty of seemingly perverted things that simply weren't her fault. No, what shocked her was the idea that she had been the helpless prey of a couple of deviants; were it not for Ryoga she could have woken up in very different and worse circumstances than she had.

'Thank you,' she replied softly, sincerely.

'Just go!' Ryoga snarled.

This time Ranma's frown deepened further than it had before, her impatience growing by leaps and bounds. 'I already told you, w–'

'I know what you said and I don't care!' he snapped over his shoulder.

Ranma grounded her teeth and clenched her jaw tightly, taking a long deep breath to keep herself collected and controlled before replying insistently. 'Ryoga you can keep interrupting me all you want, but I am not going anywhere until we've talked!'

'Why?' he demanded angrily, stopping to face her and throwing his hands into the air. 'So you can berate me?'

'No, that's n–'

He cut her off again. 'So you can accuse me of something.'

'Would you sh–'

'Or maybe you're going to tease me like you always do?'

'If you would ju–'

'So you can have a good long laugh at my expense?'

'Because I like you, you dummy!' she lost her patience and exploded at him, shocking Ryoga to silence as he froze and stared at her as if he hadn't heard right. Ranma felt her cheeks grow hotter as she realized what she had just done, and looked sharply down at her feet, scuffing them against the ground as she frowned and murmured, suddenly shy. 'And I don't mean just as a friend…'

Ryoga's face contorted in confusion. '… What?'

Ranma sighed heavily, seeming to shrink right before his eyes as the sigh whooshed out of her like air escaping from a balloon. 'I know about the kiss, Ryoga,' she said, forcing herself to look at him and watched his eyes widened in realization at what she meant.

She stole her resolve and drove on.

'After the brainwashing was removed, I… I got my memories back from when we were escaping the monks. I remember kissing you damn it and it's screwing me up,' she explained, throat tightening as she swallowed nervously. 'I can't stop thinking about it, thinking about you. I can't get you out of my head! You're always there! When I'm awake you're there, when I'm asleep you're there; I can't stop the dreams or the things I feel, no matter how hard I try and believe me I've tried. I've tried ignoring it to the point of distraction, and it just doesn't work. I can't take it anymore! I can't keep pretending its nothing, it's driving me nuts.'

She sighed and shrugged helplessly with a humourless laugh behind her words. 'Everyone keep's telling me I need to talk to you about it… so here I am.'

A long, heavy and awkward, all consuming silence fell across the vacant lot like a blanket, sucking up all the sound like a vacuum. That silence was so much louder and deafening than any noise she could conceive of, as she blushed furiously and stared down at the ground in embarrassment as she waited for him to say something. Ryoga could only stare there, struggling to process what she had just told him, his mouth opening and closing uselessly in speechlessness, trying to find the words.

Ranma wanted nothing more to smack herself over the head and crawl under a rock; this wasn't how she had imagined this happening. She had thought they would sit down and talk this out like the pair of adults, not blurt it all out in an exasperated rush of information.

So caught up in the moment, and focused on him as she was, Ranma failed to hear the approaching jingling bell; it wasn't until she felt something brush forcibly against her legs that she looked down and saw white cat with patches of black fur staring up at her.

It meowed demandingly.

Ranma screamed so loudly, the cat flattened itself against the ground as she leapt forward in blind terror to get away; before Ryoga even had the chance to blink or realize what was happening, Ranma crashed bodily into him. Both of them slammed to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs.

The cat arched his back, fur bristling and hissed its displeasure before running off.

Ranma felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest with hammering blows like it was trying to pound its way free. Her entire body shook and trembled with the irrational fear and at the back of her mind she cursed her father with language that would make even a sailor blush, while trying to ignore the horrible terrifying memory of claws and teeth grabbing and biting at her when she was a kid as the furry little monsters tried to claim the fish flavoured treats her asshole of a father had tied to her. She could still hear the cacophony of yowling hungry cats all around her, sending shivers of ice cold terror spearing through her. It made her feel so weak, not being able to control her fear of something as silly as a cat, but even just the sight of them was enough to shake her strongest foundations.

She was breathing so heavily she was nearly hyperventilating as she bunched her fists tightly to point of her knuckle joints making little popping and cracking noises. A gentle, reassuring, almost protective squeeze of her waist made her relax and sag slightly, and breathe more calmly.

Then her bright baby blues flew open wide when she realized she was lying on top of Ryoga, and staring down at his stunned eyes; less than an inch separated their faces.

Slowly, it dawned upon her that she was straddling his waist, and the fabric of his shirt along his sides was bunched between her fingers where she had latched on to him. The silence that spanned between them was like a raging gulf of emotion. She couldn't take her eyes away from his, nor his away from hers. Confusion and shock swirled in his dark green gems, silent as he stared up at her; she was still acutely aware of his hands on her, having slid down a little and rested on her hips, and her body pressed against his. Her breaths came slow, heavy heaves matching his, their warm breaths mingling between them and tickling their mouths and strands of hair along their foreheads and the sides of their necks.

It happened before either of them even realized it, the already precariously short space between their mouths had shrank until their lips were barely a hair's width from touching, so close they grazed one another with the slightly movement. Ranma felt her heart stop with trepidation, and everything around them disappear in a vacuum of silence as she looked into his eyes, almost daring him.

And then Ryoga blinked and real fear filled his gaze.

He threw her off violently and dumped her unceremoniously on her ass as he scrambled to his feet in wide eyed panic. Ranma whipped her head up, staring at him in shock as he looked back at her, stepping back hesitantly.

Then he turned and ran.

Ranma could only sit there and watch as he reached the edge of the vacant lot and take to the roofs; seconds later he disappeared from sight completely.

Her chest tightened painfully.

'Ryoga…'

_**To Be Continued**_

**A/N:**

**Ok, as I said, I had fun writing this chapter, I really did.**

**Leading up to NaNo, writing Tabula Rasa was starting to feel like a chore, and not just TR, it was everything I was writing; then I started on my NaNo project and I don't know, something inside me opened and for the first time in a long time I was excited about writing again and having fun doing it.**

**Which, thanks to coaxing from a friend and articles I've been reading, has lead me to the decision to go the route of self publishing via e-books in the foreseeable future. While I am still a far ways off finishing any of my stories, it gives me some hope and challenge to overcome.**

**Now, that being said, while I'm excited to be writing again, and excited about writing Tabula Rasa, at the same time I want to wrap Tabula Rasa up as soon as I possibly can without ruining it. I still plan on writing the sequels I have in mind as well because they are part of the larger evolution I have in mind for Ranma and Ryoga and no where near as long as TR as this story sets the foundation and all following stories wont need as much lead up development put into them. From this point onward however, the end is fast approaching.**

**Anyway I hope this chapter was enjoyable.**

**About the brief kiss between Akane and Ranma, I did that because I really thought their relationship did need closure. Ranma kissing her was a compulsive act of someone desperately trying to deal with conflicting emotions, trying to cling to an old life while faced with something terrifyingly new to her. Putting a close to the chapter of what might have been between them allows Ranma to move on and start a new chapter in her life. I'm not saying those two couldn't have a relationship, but for the purposes of THIS story that's not gonna happen.**

**Anyway that's all I have to say,until next time ^_^**


	23. Chapter 22: Fragile Steps

**A/N: Good god this has been a long time coming. _**

**I don't care if its rife with gramma or spelling errors, I've gone over it as many times as I possibly can trying to catch all of them.**

**I just hope this chapters been worth the wait _**

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Chapter 22

_Fragile Steps_

Prologue

The sun moved with near imperceptible speed, gliding so slowly that no one really noticed it moving until it was already half way across the sky, seeming to jump from place to place in the sky where it hung against the azure canvas like a globe of glowing honey, as long shadows stretched across the grounds and buildings like living creatures stretching out their limbs. Nodoka hummed cheerily along with the rhythmic scrape of straw bristles against concrete of the side walk in front of her home, glancing skyward occasionally as she appreciate the good weather. As nice as day was however, her mind was else where.

There was an unmistakable sense of change in the air.

Inwardly she was still reeling from Ranma's shocking revelation earlier that morning; she was still processing all of it.

To think how far she had come in just a few short months, it made Nodoka wonder just how much further Ranma would continue going in the coming future. She was after all so much more adaptable than she realized. Perhaps the Saotome family wasn't nearly as finished as Ranma had convinced herself that it was.

Nodoka continued to sweep the foot path, tangled in her own thoughts as she stared at the ground, only looking up every now and then to respond when passing neighbours said hello. It was hard not being well known when you had a family as interesting as hers. Almost everyone in the Nerima ward knew who the Saotome's were.

A short while later she turned to head back inside; when she went to push the gate open, a familiar mane of ruby red hair caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She smiled excitedly as Ranma approached with a steady pace.

'How did it go ho-'

The rest of her words gave away to silence as Ranma pushed past her. The red head's eyes were narrowed darkly and her eyes were as cold as river stones. Nodoka couldn't help but flinch when Ranma paused at the door and looked back her with such incredible bitterness.

'Not well,' she replied coldly, and then disappeared inside, slamming the door hard behind her.

Nodoka stood there blinking rapidly for the longest time, before she suddenly heaved a heavy sigh and said.

'Oh dear...'

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At the same time, far from not only Nerima but any also any semblance of civilization, Ryoga sat slumped beneath an old, enormous tree staring up at the canopy of leafs and branches high over head. Motley patterns of shadows slid smoothly across his face as the sun valiantly tried to break through the thick clusters. Pin pricks of light pierced the canopy and played across the ground like fairy light as the sun continued its passage across the sky.

If Ryoga noticed any of it he didn't show it.

At the back of his mind he was only vaguely aware of the fact that he had no idea where he was and he had absolutely no supplies what so ever. As big a problem as that was though, it was far from being the greatest thing on his mind at that moment.

His hearted was still pounding; never had he ran as hard or as far as he just had, adrenalin still streamed through his body in pulsing waves that created the sound of rushing blood in his ears as he grappled uselessly with his thoughts.

Bright, vulnerable blue eyes flashed through his mind and he jerked back against the tree in alarm. He could still see her, the sight of her was burned into his mind like a polaroid. Standing there, looking vulnerable and confused at the same time, a hint of hopefulness hidden behind her gaze and her cheeks flushed nervously. His own cheeks colored at the memory.

No!

Ryoga shook his head futilely, trying to rid himself of the mental image. It was in vain though, all he succeeded in doing was replacing it with another one, of waking up to find her face a bare hair's width from his own and her perfect, warm soft lips pressing themselves against his own, trapping him in the longest moment of his life. His face turned an even deep shade of crimson as he cried out in frustration and buries his head in his hands.

She knew about the kiss! He groaned miserably. What was he going to do? When she had woken up and told them she didn't remember a thing about what had happened, he thought the kami themselves were smiling down upon him. There had been no point in telling anyone, especially not Ranma, after all it hadn't meant anything. She had been sick and delusional at the time.

It had been harder for him to forget about it though, despite his best efforts to put it behind him. For so long after it had happened he had kept reliving that moment of confusion over and over again. He couldn't forget the feel of her lips against his own and it had scared him. It seemed though that the harder he tried to pretend it had happened the more the universe kept trying to remind him of it. Every time he looked at her, he relieved it anew all over again.

_'Because I like you, you dummy!' _

Her words echoed through again and he sighed, confused and lost as he tried to process it. He heard her saying she liked him, but the words sounded so alien coming out of her mouth; yet, at the same time they sent a powerful jolt through his body that made his mouth go as dry as a desert and make his heart pound like a jack hammer.

He could still feel her body pressed against his own, trembling in terror and clutching on to him as though he would protect her. He had felt her heart pounding her own chest, sending vibrations through his own. Then, when she had looked down at him and he up at her, he knew without a doubt they were going to kiss, as much as his body had ached for it, every single instinct told him to run.

What else he could he do? For all he knew, she wasn't in control of her own actions again. Anyone else and it would have been stretch, but he couldn't even keep track of all the times she had for one reason or another fallen prey to some mind or body controlling force. He had no idea if something magical had affected her, or if Yukino's brainwashing had flared up again. For all he knew it could have been something else entirely. If he had kissed her and the kami knew he had wanted to in that moment, it would have been taking advantage of her. He couldn't do that.

_'Yet you could leave her there all alone,' _his conscience snarled scathingly

Ryoga groaned and repeatedly banged his head back against the tree; he had ran away like a coward. How was he suppose to react though? How was he suppose to react to Ranma of all people, his rival since junior high telling him of all things that she suddenly likes him?

It was Ranma!

Yes, she was beautiful, stunningly beautiful even; at least when she wasn't being a childish pain in the ass. He'd be lying if he said he didn't think she was attractive, because she was. But, it was Ranma! It was hard not to think of the times she had for one reason or another pretended to be his girlfriend or fiancée or pretend to be some girl that liked him simply to play with his mind and tease him as she always had.

And yet, he knew it wasn't the case this time, and he knew she wasn't being controlled. He could see it in her eyes. She hadn't been joking or trying to play with his mind; whatever feelings she was having were as real and raw as any he'd ever had for Akane or Akari in the past.

'And I just threw her aside like a piece of garbage,' he bowed his head with a heavy sigh of shame.

He felt like such a coward.

The dark haired teenager sat motionlessly for the longest time with his arms resting limply on his raised knees in the demeanour of someone that looked beaten. He didn't know what he was suppose to do, it all seemed so crazy and the conflicting emotions running wild inside his mind left him feeling like he was floundering in the middle of a vast dark ocean of confusion with no idea of which direction to swim.

An eternity seemed to tick by as he sat there, half expecting the seasons to change around him like some sort of whimsical scene from a movie. After awhile though he found the strength to lift himself from the ground, his legs heavy with the burden of knowing what needed to be done; he had to go back and see her. He couldn't leave things like this if he was to find any sense of peace from his conscience. It would nag at him until he did.

Ryoga stopped suddenly and glanced around at the trees and frowned.

He just needed to figure out which direction Nerima was first…

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Ranma's attack cry split the air like the crack of a whip as the furious red head charged across the snow blanketed ground. Genma dashed backwards in alarm with sweat pouring down his face, their arms blurring between them as he desperately blocked each strike she flew at him. Her punches came faster and faster, edging terrifyingly closer and closer to her _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken_ attack with each passing second. He felt the force of each hit reverberate through his arms every time he deflected the attacks even as she drove him backwards step by step.

With a oomph he broke the attack and swept the air with a round house kick. Ranma jumped, landed on his leg and leapt backwards through the air, somersaulting end over end and landing in a crouch atop a stone garden lamp. Through locks of crimson she flashed a terrifying glare that shot through him like an arrow, making him flinch unconsciously.

That was all the opening she needed.

Ranma launched from the stone lamp with incredible speed and slammed a kick into her father's stomach. He felt the air explode out of his lungs in the second that time seemed to slow to a near standstill, his eyes widening in shock; she had moved so fast. Even as he crashed backwards Ranma flipped languidly backwards and landed in a crouch once more, looking like an Olympic runner ready to bolt at the ring of a starting shot. Genma crashed to the ground and slid backwards through the snow for a couple of feet before coming to a halt. He looked up in time to see the red head was suddenly above him, seeming to hang suspended in the air.

Then she was descending rapidly, a second later with her fist drawn back ready. Genma felt his entire body tense and slammed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep chest full of air, waiting for the inevitable.

It didn't come though.

The seconds ticked by and all the heavy set martial artist heard was the silence, save for the natural sounds of life all around him, but there was nothing else. When he slowly peeled his eyes open, he found himself staring up the length the red head's arm and her fist a mere hairs width from his throat, steady as a rock. She stared down at him with an alarmingly coldness, that was over shadowed by her thinly drawn lips and trembling rage barely masked behind her eyes.

She drew back away from him and let her arms fall to her side, but even still her shoulders held an unmistakeable tension in them.

'I need to get ready for school,' she said coolly, and without another word she disappeared inside and went up stairs.

Genma slumped against the ground almost as soon as she was out of sight, his heart hammering away in his chest with exertion and fear. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath, reminded once more of the painful fact that he was no longer as young as he used to be. Though maybe it wasn't entirely just him he thought. Ranma's speed was already through the roof, but her brute strength had sky rocketed in the last few days; it was nearly as high as it had been when she was still male, something the red head had never been able to manage in the past, focusing instead on making herself faster instead of stronger.

That strength coupled with her speed was frightening.

He wasn't the most observant of people, but he wasn't blind. Ranma hadn't been the same for the last couple of days. Something had caused her to back slide, withdrawing into herself, cutting herself off from everyone around her. She had tackled her studies and training with a robot like single mindedness that was almost scary and barely so much as spoken a word to anyone, let alone acknowledged those around her. No, he wasn't the most observant person in the world but you had to be blind if you didn't see that something was wrong.

What, he had no idea.

He was certain though that she was barely in control of herself, despite her outwardly cold indifference and frost aura she wrapped herself in. That was even more terrifying than her new found strength. Her anger spilled out in her powerful albeit tactless attacks, relying on overwhelming brute force rather than any real strategies. Not that it was any less effective.

The minutes ticked by slowly before Ranma reappeared. She retrieved a piece of the toast from the kitchen and then was gone, all without a second word and slamming the front door behind her. Genma didn't miss the heavy saddened sigh that suddenly escaped Nodoka's lips as she stared after her.

'What's going on?' he suddenly felt like the odd one out. 'Did I do something to make her mad again?'

Nodoka gave him a long measured look, before relenting with another sigh. 'Sit down dear, there's some things we need to talk about.'

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The living room seemed so quiet as they sat in silence; Genma absorbing the unbelievable revelation and Nodoka watching carefully, watching for any negative reactions that would need to be squashed quickly. The last thing Ranma needed was anything like that happening, not with the state she was in. At the same time she couldn't help but think about the surreal

Genma though had listened with quiet and understandable shock as she told everything she knew. The surprise was evident in his eyes, but there was none of the exasperating over excitement she knew her husband to be popular for; he just sat there and listened, taking it all in with a contemplative manner that surprised Nodoka more than it should. After all, with everything he had put Ranma through in the last decade or so in his quest to make Ranma a "man amongst men" she expected a bit more of a reaction out of then the thoughtful gaze in his eyes.

'Ryoga huh?' he said finally, as if he may have heard wrong.

Nodoka nodded calmly. 'Really I wanted to let Ranma tell you herself when she was ready, but I think with this new turn of events it would probably be better if you knew so you didn't accidentally say the wrong thing at the wrong moment.'

She was lucky enough as it was to get Ranma to tell her what had happened with Ryoga, so she doubted the red head would admit to her father anytime soon about her feelings for the boy. She was hurting and angry, much more than she would probably willingly admit to anyone and there was nothing anyone could really do to alleviate that pain until she was ready to accept help; and, right now she barely even wanted to be around anyone, much less let them past the wall she had built around herself.

As much as she was sorry for Ranma though, another part of her was just as worried about Ryoga. While it certainly could have been handled better, that was a lot to suddenly dump on him like that; it was little wonder the teenager had ran the way he had.

She knew this was a setback for Ranma, after she had come so far and made up her mind to confront him with her feelings. It would have been bad enough under normal situations, but given the great strides Ranma had made, getting past her preconceived conceptions and her fears and putting them aside; for it to have turned out like this was going to make it hard for her to do it again, if she ever allowed herself the possibility again that was.

Nodoka would be lying if she said she hadn't prayed that Ranma might one day start to change her mind about things. That one day she might have a change of heart and find someone she truly loved and get married and have children. It was a tall order she knew and the former didn't necessarily guarantee the later either, but part of her had prayed hard that it might happen. She had hoped that Ranma might reconsider the different paths that terrified her so much instead of avoiding them out of misplaced fear and pride. She knew that just because Ranma liked a boy didn't automatically mean that she was going to suddenly want children but it had been a step in the right direction for her.

Right now though she was more worried about how Ranma was handling Ryoga's reaction and the way her mood had shifted so dramatically. It was horrible to say, but she felt real fear when she saw the volatile emotion building up behind the red head's eyes. Ranma was like a stick of dynamite, waiting for the last of her fuse to burn away.

What followed would not be pretty.

All of a sudden Genma shrugged calmly as he relaxed in the chair. 'She could do worse than him I suppose.'

Nodoka felt her mind suddenly spin as she gaped at her husband in unabashed surprise.

'That's it?' she asked, more than a little bewildered at the underwhelming reaction. 'You just found out Ranma likes a boy, and that's all you can say?'

Genma nodded seriously. 'You're right. We should find her a rich husband before it's too late. I'm sure Picolet Chardin III might reconsider their marriage now if we ask him; he was quite taken with her.'

Even as the grin spread rapidly across his face, Nodoka reached over without warning and punched him mercilessly hard in the shoulder. Genma grunted in surprise and flinched away, rubbing at his shoulder, but the joking smile never left his face.

'This is why I decided to tell you about Ranma and Ryoga,' she frowned in annoyance. 'If you made stupid jokes like that around her at the moment she would probably kill you.'

'I'm not _that_ stupid,' he replied a little sourly.

Nodoka wasn't entirely sure about that, but she let it pass. 'I'm surprised at how well you're taking this.'

'I am surprised.' Genma replied nonchalantly and a small smile formed on his lips. 'I'm not really surprised though she would pick Ryoga. He's practically the male equivalent of Akane after all, and he's the only real equal Ranma's ever known. Certainly the only one that can match or even rival Ranma's sheer determination. So no I'm not surprised that its Ryoga.'

'I still think you're taking this too well,' Nodoka repeated. 'Given your _great_ quest to make Ranma a man amongst men I thought your reaction might be a little more... heated, than this.'

He sighed and shrugged. 'A few months ago, before everything changed I probably would have had a problem with it. When Ranma and I had that huge argument though, things changed. Soun said some things that made me think about things I had been too pig headed to think about. He asked me what I would do if Ranma one day wanted children. Here I was, worried about how Ranma's situation made me look and that the Saotome and Tendo schools would never be joined. It honestly never occurred to me that Ranma one day might end up wanting children, it seemed like the most unlikely thing in the universe given Ranma's attitude about the whole situation. But, while I was away it got me thinking about it. It still seemed so unlikely, but I eventually thought, if it was what Ranma really wanted then so be it.'

'Awww,' Nodoka stared at him lovingly.

Genma grinned suddenly. 'Besides, between two of you it's not like my opinion really matters anyway. I'd probably end up having to sleep on the street if I complained about it.'

Nodoka patted his hand, returning the smile. 'Exactly dear.'

She wasn't joking though.

Genma swallowed nervously and quickly moved on. 'I never expected that she ever would though to be honest. Not this soon anyway.'

'I don't think anyone really did,' she nodded understandingly.

Genma frowned at the table in thought. 'I don't know how to be a father in this situation. Not that I've ever really been a good one to begin with though.'

Nodoka tilted her head slightly and smiled fondly at him and marvelling at how much he continued to surprise her at the strangest of times, and remind her of why she loved him so much. Despite his many short comings, he was a good man and he did try his hardest to be a good husband and father.

'You're doing just fine dear,' she added reassuringly as she gently squeezed his hand. 'This is just something that Ranma needs to feel her way through herself though. All we can do is be here to help her when she needs it.'

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The normal, typical excitable and volatile energy that was so common in the classroom, extinguished the instant she walked through the door. The cacophony of chatter and voices died and numerous eyes turned to stare while others tried their hardest not to. Ranma radiated an icy aura that filled the room and was impossible not to notice while the dark cast of her frigid blue eyes sent shivers through the other students; she didn't even bat an eye lid as she calmly went to her seat, sat down and methodically arranged her pens and notebooks on the desk with the same concentration of someone trying hard to distract themselves.

From her spot behind her, Akane watched the red head in puzzled confusion. This was the third day Ranma had come to school like this, seething in silence like a volcano about to blow its top. She didn't even acknowledge anyone, let alone spoken a single word to anyone; even the teacher seemed content to avoid asking her to answer any questions. At the same time it was the most attentive she had ever been in class, diligently writing down pages of notes.

It was almost as if she had been replaced with a pod person...

It was odd the first day though and troubling the second when it became quite apparent that something was very wrong. Nobody knew what, but that of course didn't stop them from talking about her behind her back, but if Ranma noticed the sidelong glances or the almost conspiratorial whispering - and there was absolutely no doubt in Akane's mind that the red head did - she didn't show it.

Akane had tried and failed a couple of times to get the red head talking, but all she got in return were coldly curt and irritably evasive replies; the fact that she refused to even look her in the eye left Akane worrying that perhaps Ranma was angry with her about her reaction to their kiss...

That moment was still frozen in her memory, when Ranma's lips had cupped hers. For the briefest of seconds she had felt a familiar surge of warmth spreading from the center of her chest out, before it was extinguished just as quickly by the unfair reality of the situation. She was in love with the male Ranma, not the female one; maybe it was shallow of her, but she just couldn't see past the outer layers to the person inside she loved. Did that make her a bad person she wondered in the back of her mind? She wanted to love Ranma like she had, and still did deep inside, but she just couldn't see past the female shell.

What had Ranma expected though if she _was_ able to see past the red head's outer appearance and still felt the same attraction to her?

No, she thought abruptly with a slight shake of her head, it couldn't be that she decided; when she had looked into Ranma's eyes that night she had seen the look of acceptance and resignation in those blues eyes, tormented with troubles that Akane still couldn't fathom. How Ukyo figured it out was beyond her.

Whatever was wrong, she was certain it wasn't the kiss that had so drastically altered Ranma's mood. They had both felt awkward and embarrassed after it, Ranma probably even more so being the one that took such a huge chance only to be rejected. It was just a kiss though. Nothing more. It wasn't a sweeping declaration of love, there were no fireworks and it wasn't heart stopping. It was just a kiss, an abrupt, impulsive kiss and nothing more and they both knew it straight away. Akane found that incredibly sad, that they would never have that with one another again.

They had left it on good terms though, the final resolution of their relationship. It couldn't be the source of the red head's frightening aura seething hate.

So what had happened in so short a time she wondered, to have transformed Ranma into this? When she had left her the other night she hadn't seemed depressed or angry, just lost.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness as the class dragged on, and the tense air of silence that surrounded Ranma and spilled out through the room didn't make it go any faster. When the bell finally rang there was a collective sense of relief amongst the students and a near race to get out of the classroom first. Akane lingered back though, watching as Ranma calmly repacked her bag.

With a deep steadying breath, Akane got out of her seat moved up beside the red head. 'Hey Ranma.'

'Hey,' Ranma replied curtly, without looking up.

'Uh...' Akane floundered slightly. 'Can we talk?'

Ranma got up and pushed past her. 'No.'

Akane's jaw tightened as she watched the red head disappear out into the hall as she fought back her own annoyance. When she followed after the girl, the ruby haired teenager had already disappeared amongst the sea of students heading to their next classes. She knew where the red head was going though, and quickly hurried to catch up with her.

'Ranma wait,' she called.

…...

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'Ranma wait!'

Ukyo was coming from the other end of the hallway when she looked up to see the red head disappear into the crowd of students; all but shoving her way past them. Then Akane came rushing out of the class room seconds later, looking just as frustrated and irritated as she had the other day when she had tried to get her to reveal what she and Ranma had talked about.

But then again it didn't exactly take much to rile Akane up; entertaining as it was though.

Akane was a good hearted person, but she didn't like the idea that she wasn't the one Ranma had gone to with her problem; despite the fact that Ranma didn't entirely choose of her own free will to reveal her big secret, something Ukyo felt somewhat guilty about in retrospect. She would have rather Ranma come to her for help or advice of her own free will than to have practically cornered her like that. The shock of the realization though, when all the little bits of the puzzle came together had been far too much for her to contain.

Ranma's current attitude was what worried her the most. She hadn't been to school since their last encounter at the restaurant, but she had heard the whisperings between the students that came into the shop, though her interrogations had revealed little else about the cause. One day the red head was fine - troubled, loopy and seemingly empted headed, but fine nevertheless - and then literally she changed overnight.

It seemed like she was back sliding to three months ago... but why? Had the idea of having feelings for Ryoga, let along any boy really scared her that badly that she would revert to such an extent?

Possible as it may have been, it just didn't feel right though, Ukyo thought to herself; Ranma had been so resolved about moving on from that attitude that it didn't make sense that she would be acting like this.

There was only one to find out though.

She hurried to catch up with them, hoping to find some clue to Ranma's moody disposition.

When she found them again, Akane was trying and failing to engage the red head in a conversation with increasing tones of aggravation and exasperation that showed just as clearly on her face as it did in her voice. Any other time Ukyo would found it greatly amusing.

'Hey,' she greeted them and exchanged pointed stares with her former rival for Ranma's affections. 'What's going on?'

Akane huffed, shooting an irritated glare at the red head, which was quickly ignored, much to her increasing frustration. 'As far as Ranma's concerned, absolutely nothing at all. But, we all know that's a load of lies!'

Ukyo rolled her eyes and sighed with a small shake of her head, _and you wonder why she opened up to me and not you...baka._

'It's no one's business,' Ranma replied shortly without even so much as glancing at either of them.

'Ranma, whatever's wrong you know closing yourself off like this isn't the answer,' Ukyo pointed out, frowning softly with concern. 'Please, talk to us.'

A flicker of angry annoyance flew across the red head's face. 'There is nothing to tal-'

Ranma suddenly paused, blinking in confusion. Then, at the same time as Akane, Ukyo felt the low rumbling vibrating through the building, cutting short the terse conversation; the walls shook and the windows started to rattle. Everyone stopped and glanced around warily, fearing that it was an earthquake. The hairs on the back of Ukyo's neck stood on end suddenly, and then years of carefully honed instincts and training kicked in as the chef jumped backwards a second before the wall beside her burst outward in a spray of dust and debris.

Followed by the familiar ring of a bike bell.

'Nihao!' Shampoo smiled brightly as the cloud of dust around her disappeared, as she sat there on her bike.

'Shampoo,' Ukyo choked out between coughs. 'When are you going to learn to use the damn doors like everyone else?'

The blue haired girl simply tilted her head and blinked blankly. 'But doors slow Shampoo down. Following straight line much faster!'

'You're going to kill someone!' Ukyo snapped in exasperation. But, seeing the unapologetic look in the other girl's eyes told her she wouldn't get anywhere with this argument. She sighed. 'What are you doing here?'

The buxom Chinese girl lifted up her delivery container. 'Customer no pick up order. Shampoo decided to share with friends instead of letting go to waste.'

'Shampoo, it isn't even time for our lunch break yet,' Akane explained helplessly. 'We have another class in a minute.'

'You no need to wait for lunch break,' Shampoo waved her hand dismissively.

Ukyo sometimes wondered if the young Amazon understood the purpose for schools or if she simply just didn't care, seeing as how she came and went as she pleased and didn't care about breaking a few walls down in the process if they were in her way. But then again, when you came from a tribe of warriors, high school must seem like such a strange and trivial thing.

'Besides,' Shampoo added quickly. 'This good Chinese cuisine. Nothing beat Shampoo's cooking!'

'Hey wait just a minute!' Ukyo snapped, feeling a surge indignant pride shoot through her. 'We all know my Okonomiyaki is the best.'

Shampoo grinned smugly. 'Then why Cat Cafe get more customers than you?'

When eighty percent of the Cat Cafe's regulars were adolescent teenage boys, and its head waitress dressed like a slut, Ukyo had a pretty good idea why.

Ukyo folded her arms across her chest and smirked. 'At least I don't have to shake my ass to sell my Okonomiyaki.'

And like that the two of them exploded into a full blown argument that could be heard throughout the halls.

Having enough, Ranma rushed ahead of the small group and reached her locker first. As she opened her shoe locker however, an envelope tumbled out and bounced off her chest, before falling to the ground. The four girls stared in surprise, even Ranma was momentarily shocked out of her icy disposition at the sight of the envelope, blinking at it as though it were something alien. Ranma calmly picked it up and flipped it over, and in the blink of an eye the frozen aura returned when she realized what it was; one end of was sealed with a love heart sticker.

"Awww, that's sweet,' Ukyo teased playfully.

All of a sudden the envelope burst into dancing blue flames of ki as the red head crushed it between her fist, causing other students to jump and turn in alarm as others gasped in shock. Within seconds the ki fire devoured the fragile paper and sent particles of ash floating into the air, till there was nothing left but a black ash dust in the palm of her hand, which she immediately dumped on the ground.

Ukyo winced openly. 'That's harsh...'

'Ai'ya,' Shampoo agreed softly.

Ranma slammed the locker door closed hard enough that Ukyo and Shampoo and other students nearby flinched in alarm, even as the entire row of lockers teetered away from them for a second before slamming back to the ground with a loud clang as doors rattled and threatened to pop open. Ukyo couldn't help be stare at Ranma in disbelief as the red head slipped her shoes on and started to walk off, growling and muttering under her breath, shocked that she would act that carelessly over something so trivial. Then again, she hadn't been right for a couple of days now and then there was the icy wall she'd built around herself. It baffled her why the red head was acting this way when she had been so loopy and out of it only a few days ago when they last sp...

Ukyo's thoughts trailed off as her eyes widened.

She stared after Ranma in shock.

'Ranma, wait.'

The okonomiyaki chef quickly rushed after her and grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her in the middle of the hallway. The red head glared down at her hand, then up at her; a cold chill rippled through Ukyo as those blue eyes narrowed dangerously at her like someone about to squash a bug; unconsciously, she let go of the girl's wrist and swallowed nervously.

She whispered softly. 'Did you talk to Ryoga?'

Ranma's glare intensified by several degrees as the muscles along the delicate curve of her jaw tightened hard enough that Ukyo thought she heard the red head's teeth grinding together.

'That's it,' she continued in shock. 'That's what this is all about isn't it? You went talked to him didn't you?'

'Yes,' Ranma hissed lowly. 'I went and talked to him because I listened to you and Kasumi and Nabiki and my mother. I went and talked to him because you all told me I had to tell him how I felt about him! And I ended up humiliating myself! Are you happy?'

'Oh Ranma,' Ukyo said sympathetically.

Ranma opened her mouth to say something, but her lips froze in mid motion as her eyes focused on something behind Ukyo, widening slightly with horror. The brunette whirled around to find Shampoo and Akane standing only a couple of feet behind her; their eyes were wide with shock as they stared at the red head in disbelief. Ukyo closed her eyes in realization, groaning; it didn't take a genius to figure out what they had just overheard.

Ukyo turned back just as Ranma turned to leave. 'Ranchan, wait.'

Ranma whirled on the chef with fury blazing in her eyes and a battle aura flaring up around her like a wall separating them and froze Ukyo in her tracks.

'For once would you all just mind your own business and leave me alone!' the red head snarled loudly and dangerously. 'I am not your damn project that you can work on because it amuses you! Leave. Me. Alone!'

If she hadn't drawn attention to herself before, she had now; the hallway went silent as students turned and stared at her in a mix of confusion and weariness as they stared at her like she had grown a second head. Ranma looked around at all of them with challenging eyes, almost daring them to say something. Then, giving her former fiancée's one last withering glare she turned and stormed off, leaving the three girls shaken and shocked.

…...

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The sun dipped below the horizon and night came quickly.

Genma strolled calmly to the training hall, Nodoka and Ranma having gone to bed a few hours ago. Ranma had skipped out of school early and came home in an even worse mood than she had been that morning; if that was even possible. She had locked herself up in the dojo and had stayed in there until dinner was served and then went straight to bed without so much as a single word to either of them. He wasn't surprised when he pulled the doors to the dojo open and found it littered with the broken remains of now useless training dummies.

The Tendo training hall had looked similar at one point soon after Ranma had exploded at Ryoga and tried to kill him.

With a troubled sigh and a heavy frown he started to clean up the mess, all the while though his thoughts were elsewhere. He was at a complete loss as to what to do for Ranma, especially in this situation. It had been one thing when she was angry about being trapped as a girl; it was something else completely to see her so enraged over a boy. What was he suppose to do? He had never been prepared for this situation. He wasn't the most sensitive person, but even he found it hard to see her this way. He felt kind of useless.

Genma shook his head at the scene of utter destruction around him as he cleared away the training dummies. If he was certain of one thing at the moment, it was that Ranma had too much pent up rage that she just couldn't exhaust.

All at once he came to a stop, as an idea suddenly occurred to him...

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…..

Ranma was sound asleep when Genma slipped silently into her bedroom with a quietness that belied his age and size. He wasted no time in creeping over to her bed side, wincing every time a floorboard squeaked even slightly. He put his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her until she started to stir. She groaned and frowned irritably, before her eyes blinked open and she stared up at him groggily through squinting eyes, frowning further.

'Pops?' she gave him a look of annoyance that made her look even more like her mother. 'What are you doing?'

'Get up,' he said simply before he walked back to the door.

Ranma sighed tiredly, but did as she was told, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked up seconds later to see a large mass suddenly flying at her from the darkness of the room and threw her hands up instinctively and caught it; however she wasn't prepared for the heavy weight and let out a short squeal of surprise as she toppled backwards under it.

'Shhhh,' Genma hushed her with a single finger at his lips. 'Stop playing around and come on. Hurry up and get dressed.'

Ranma pushed the weight off her and sat up with an aggravated growl as she glared at him with irritation.

'What is wrong with you?' she snapped, before she finally realized what it was he had thrown at her. She frowned at him in confusion. 'What are you doing with my travel pack?'

Genma simply grinned deviously.

…...

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The sun filtered through the translucent curtains as it peaked over the distant horizon, sending splashes of peach coloured light across the room. Nodoka rolled over, stirred from the deep sleep by the warming touch of the morning sun; her eyes slowly fluttering open as she stared at the window in sleepy contemplation as she let the fog of sleep steadily roll back. As she laid there enjoying the relax bliss of a good night's sleep however, thoughts and memories from the previous day slowly filled her mind, and couldn't help be frown worriedly as she thought of Ranma.

With a small sigh she looked back over her shoulder, and blinked in surprise to find the other side of the bed empty.

She sat up in confusion; where was Genma?

He was rarely up before she was.

Nodoka forced herself up with a tired yawn, half worried that she slept in later than she meant to. She wrapped herself up in a warm robe and made her way out into the hallway, where she found Ranma's door wide open, and frowned when she peaked her head in, only to find the room empty the red head's bed unmade. It was even rarer for both of them to be up before her. Maybe they were sparring, she thought as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

When she made it down stairs though, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the silence. She looked around and strained her ears, but there was nothing but silence; there were no attack cries or the clack of bo staffs smacking against one another. Something wasn't right, she realized.

As soon as she walked into the kitchen though, she saw the note attached to the freezer door. With apprehension she removed the note from the door and read it carefully.

_Nodoka_

_Taken Ranma on a training trip, we'll be back in a few days. Don't worry._

Nodoka was left speechless as she stared at the sorry excuse for a note in utter disbelief. A training trip! In the middle of the week? What was he thinking? Ranma had school to think about; she couldn't just go running off to train whenever _he _pleased! No matter what Ranma was going through at the moment, she couldn't just neglect her studies on a moment's notice like this.

She growled furiously in helpless exasperation and crushed the note in her fist. She was going to kill him when he got back.

A sudden knock at the front door broke through her train of thought. She gave the crumpled note one last look, glaring at it disapprovingly as though it were to blame, and then scrunched it up and throwing it in the waste bin before going to see who would be visiting at this time of morning.

When she pulled the door open, she blinked in surprise to find Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo standing there, looking somewhat nervous.

'Good morning Mrs Saotome,' Akane greeted.

'Good morning girls,' Nodoka couldn't completely mask her surprise at finding all three of them standing there.

'Is Ranma up?' Ukyo asked quickly. 'We were hoping we could speak to her.'

Nodoka felt her annoyance at Genma rapidly resurfacing, and told them about the note she had just found. The three of them looked a little disappointed, their shoulders sagging. But then, they shared a look between them.

'Maybe we can talk to you then?' Ukyo added. 'About Ranma and Ryoga...?'

…...

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Far, far away from Nerima Ryoga stared up at the buildings of a city he did not recognize, his cheeks gaunt and his arms hanging limply at his sides as his stomach growled and he groaned like a zombie. A sea of people passed by him, casting strange looks at him, more than a little unnerved by the sight of him. Ryoga barely seemed to notice them though as he tried to figure out where he was, but to no avail; there were no landmarks or familiar sights to give him any indication what city it was. It occurred to him that he had been through too many cities.

Ryoga found his way to a small park where he collapsed onto the edge of a fountain, and hung his head in utter despair. He had been walking for what felt like days, sometimes going around in circles many times over before getting his bearings and making some progress in one direction; and then, he would end up doubling back without realizing it.

He was so confused...

This was his punishment for being a coward, he was certain of it.

Days had passed since incident between him and Ranma; he found himself wondering what was waiting for him when he finally made it back. It wasn't the first time he had thought about it either, try as hard he might to concentrate only on where he was going. The _incident_ kept popping into his mind, distracting him at worse times, and it only served to remind him of something very important.

He had no idea what the hell he was going to say to her when he got back!

Nothing seemed adequate enough.

Ryoga glanced up at the sky, trying to ignore his growling stomach. No, he had absolutely no idea what was waiting for him when he got back.

Reasonable Ranma...

... or the terrifying, rip your throat out and devour your entrails Ranma?

The dark haired teenager sighed helplessly at the blue canvas sky; it didn't matter what waiting for him.

It was something he was just going to have to face, no matter what.

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Tree's swayed majestically as a crisp cool wind blew across the forest, shifting loose clumps of white as snapping branches overladen with snow echoed with loud resounding cracks across the mountains. Genma sat at the crest of a trail, overlooking the seemingly endless sea of snow capped forest. He closed his eyes and breathed deep the fresh clean air, letting it fill his lungs like the breath of life filling him with renewed energy. A few seconds later he opened his eyes again and looked down at the stop watch in his hand, watching the seconds race by; then he glanced down the mountain trail with trees flanking it on either side as it angled down sharply where is disappeared completely inside the forest.

As if on cue, Ranma appeared at the base of trail, panting heavily and her formerly pristine martial arts gi stained with dirt and sweat. Even from the top of the trail, he could see the withering glare she gave him. He held the stop watch up and tapped it impatiently, nearly grinning at her growing irritation.

Ranma leapt forth; at the same time Genma kicked out a stake imbedded in the dirt beside him. Everything happened all at once; boulders raced out from between the trees and rumbled down the trail, bouncing off the ground and each other as Ranma slid to a halt, balking in surprise. At the last second she leapt between two boulders bearing down on her. More boulders came racing at her at the same time a hail storm of smaller rocks and half spears shot out at her.

From his perch Genma heard her startled screams as she frantically evaded the projectiles and danced around the boulders. Even from so far away he could see she had barely dodged the razor sharp missiles, leaving small tears in her uniform as she steadily progressed up the trail. It made him frown; maybe he had set the traps too high... though it was more likely that Ranma simply wasn't focusing.

Another shower of rocks flew out of the forest at the red head; Ranma side stepped another boulder and unleashed her _Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken _attack, shattering the missiles with her bare hands, turning them to dust and snatching the larger pieces out of the air.

Finally she made it past the obstacles, eventually finding her rhythm and concentration as she ducked and weaved past the rest of them with skill and the grace her small body afforded her. She was panting heavily and drenched in sweat when she got to the end of the trail and doubled over in front of him, resting her hands on her knees with hair plastered against her face as she tried to catch her breath. When she looked up at him though, he was looking at the time on the stop watch.

He shook his head. 'That was horrible. Do it again'

Ranma looked at him in disbelief, but before she had the chance to blink, he kicked out a second stake that was embedded beside the first one. A lasso of rope suddenly slipped around her ankle and sent her flying back across the forest.

Her screamed echoed across the entire mountain range.

"You bastard!"

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….

Genma laughed openly from the opposite side of the crackling camp fire as Ranma stabbed her chopsticks into the container of instant noodles, glaring at him hatefully before shovelling a mouthful of food into her mouth and look away with a huffing pout. She was covered from head to toe in scratches and bruises, many of which were now covered with band aids and gauze patches and was still pissed from the days training session.

That didn't stop Genma from laughing though. He was well aware that he was skating increasingly thinning ice though.

'Lighten up,' he told her. 'I've put you through far worse before.'

Ranma grumbled irritably, and shoved a comically large amount of noodle into her mouth.

Despite her obvious displeasure and irritation, Genma could see a noticeable difference in her. Since they had arrived and started training a couple of days earlier, she hadn't seemed as tense or quite so angry once she was away from all the things playing on her mind. Running her through the gauntlets and rigorous training courses may have been rough on her, but at the same time he was giving her an outlet to unleash all her pent up rage, something she couldn't do in Nerima.

Inwardly he congratulated himself for thinking of this; of course, he was aware Nodoka was probably furious with him and he would be in for an earful when they got back.

A few more days out here though, he thought idly, and then they would head home and hopefully Ranma would be in better condition to deal with things.

'How did you know about this place?' Ranma asked suddenly.

Genma took a long drag on his pipe and lounged back against the boulder. 'Martial artists have been coming here for generations to train. Its where I used to come when I was younger than you, before I knew your mother. Soun and I became friends on these mountains and used to train together, before we met the Master.'

A the camp fire wavered and dimmed dangerously as the mention of the old man, and both of them shuddered violently at the chill that crept up their spines.

Genma shook his head and moved on. 'This is where I came after we had that big fight and your mother told me to leave. I needed to get back to my roots. It's much nicer in the spring though, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.'

Ranma nodded slightly as silence settled upon them. She put her noodles down and looked at the ground, locks of crimson shadowing her eyes as fire light danced across her face.

'Mom told you didn't she?' Ranma asked, barely above a whisper.

Genma gave a simple nod. 'She did.'

Ranma cursed sharply. 'I wish she would just leave things alone!'

'Don't be angry with her,' Genma added sternly. 'She was going to let you tell me eventually but then, things happened and she thought it was better I knew so I didn't say the wrong thing at the wrong moment. So don't be angry with her.'

'You must be really ashamed of me now,' she replied bitterly. 'Now that I've fallen for some boy.'

Genma frowned heavily at her. 'I'm not ashamed of you for that. The only thing I'm ashamed of is you feeling sorry for yourself and making everyone else suffer for it. It's barely been three months since you found out you were stuck this way and you've already come full circle.'

Ranma stared at him in shock and outrage, her brain spinning to catch up that he would talk so bluntly to her.

'I didn't train you to _just_ be a martial artist Ranma. I trained you never to give up and I taught you how to adapt to any given situation and make it your own. _That's_ why you're a great martial artist. It had nothing to do with any special techniques you've learnt in the last couple of years. It's because of your ability to see situation and find a way to turn it to your advantage. Wallowing in your own self pity isn't going to help you and you know it,' Genma continued before she had the chance to recover. He sighed heavily. 'Rejection hurts. There's no denying that. Everyone's been through it or will at some point in their life, but no matter how much you may hate yourself or him, cutting yourself off and treating everyone and everything around you like a nuisance isn't going to help. All its going to do is hurt the people that I know you care about.

Ranma gaped at him in disbelief, opening her mouth to argue with him, only to frown when the verbal assault wouldn't come. He watched her carefully, in the back of his mind he was afraid she might attack him or this might end with them having another big argument again. She didn't need to be coddled though; she needed to be made to see what direction she was dangerously heading towards again. If he could stop her from going down that road of destructive self loathing again, then would at least have done his duty as a father.

After a few minutes of silence Ranma sighed deeply and drew her knees to her chest, crossing her arms across her knees and burying her between them.

Genma balked in alarm at the heavy shift in her mood. 'You're not going to start bawling now are you?'

Ranma head shot up instantly with furiously blazing eyes as she snapped indignantly at him. 'No I'm not going to cry, you stupid jack ass!'

He couldn't help but flinch at her scathing tone, nearly falling backwards as she shouted at him. Ranma's cheeks flushed with annoyance and embarrassment as she glared at him, before finally looking away with a huff.

'I was thinking,' she added irritably. Then her eyes softened and she frowned. 'What if I can't see a way through this time?'

'There's always a way,' He replied calmly as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. 'If you've already given up however...'

The red head gazed dolefully at the dancing flames of the camp fire.

'He looked at me like I was a freak of nature,' she whispered softly. Genma blinked at the obvious hurt he heard in her tone, pain he wasn't entirely sure she was completely aware of. Ranma's shoulders heaved with a sad gloomy sigh.

Genma scratched at the side of his face. 'Have you thought about this from Ryoga's perspective?'

This time Ranma's eyes did flick up to meet his, darkening slightly as she arched an eye brow at him. 'What? You mean he has a right to throw me aside like a piece of garbage?

Genma was too old not to recognize that dangerous tone. He'd heard it from her mother enough times to know it was a trap.

'No, don't put words in my mouth. I'm not saying that. I mean, think about this if your roles were reversed; would your reaction have been any less extreme?' she instantly went to argue but he held up a finger to shush her. 'Before you say anything think about some of your reactions in the past to having Ukyo, or Shampoo or Kodachi or any other random girl you caught the attention of throwing themselves at you; or on the rare occasion you had to fend off a guy. Then consider Ryoga's reaction.'

He could see her mind working through nearly two years worth of memories; the kami knew there was a lot of them.

Finally she relented and relaxed slightly, glancing at the ground guiltily.

'Exactly,' he continued. 'Try to remember this isn't just about you. You dropped a huge bombshell on him.'

Ranma looked at him in silence for the longest with emotionless eyes, the only sound between them was the crackle and pop of burning logs as embers floated into the sky on wisps of smoke. Without warning she started to laugh, a low chuckle that quickly exploded into an uncontrollable fit. Genma stared in confusion as she continued to laugh, grabbing at her middle and doubling forth, laughing so hard her eyes started to tear up and reflected the light of the fire.

'What's so funny?' he couldn't help but frown; here he was trying to impart some serious wisdom and all she could do was laugh!

Even as she laughed she shook her head helplessly.

'I'm just thinking about how stupid the world is,' she finally managed as she wiped her eyes. 'Who would have thought a few months ago that we would be here now, talking about me pissed about being rejected by a guy that I like and that it would be Ryoga of all people. It's just so stupid.'

Ranma started laughing all over again.

And soon Genma joined in.

Their laughter echoed far in the quiet mountains, piercing the relative silence; until Genma realized suddenly that there was only his laughter. When he glanced across the fire, Ranma was slumped sideways against the log she'd been resting against, sound asleep. He shook his head as he got to his feet and quietly and carefully picked her up and laid her down inside her tent.

He pulled a blanket over her, thinking of all the times as a kid when she would zonk out after a hard day of training.

Some things never changed, he thought with a small smile.

…...

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Tears of unimaginable joy cascaded down Ryoga's cheeks as he struggled to keep from collapsing on his knees in utter relief.

After days of wondering aimlessly across Japan, he was finally back in Nerima.

He recognized the buildings of Ranma's street almost instantly from the few times he had been there before. He couldn't believe his weary dark encircled eyes as his mind registered where he was. By his count it had only been a handful of days, but it felt like a thousand years since he had last been here. His long sleeved mustard yellow shirt bore several tears and was stained in places with dirt and grime from his long journey, while his stomach growled insistently. The fact that he made it back however, and to Ranma's street no less left him standing there frozen in overwhelmed disbelief.

Now that he was back however, the street before him seemed to stretch into infinity; he was starting to second guess his decision to return and confront her. Already his heart was racing a thousand miles a minute, pumping like crazy and it felt like he was breathing through a cloth gag.

For days he could think of nothing except finding his way back to make amends. It seemed like the most simplest thing to do, no hassles except to suck it up and be a man and apologize for being an ass. It seemed so much more complicated now, than it had been before. He was suddenly very aware of how precarious his situation was and how badly it could go very quickly if he wasn't careful.

Best case scenario; she would only pulverize him with her _Moko Takabisha._

Worst case...

Ryoga swallowed nervously.

He shook his head vigorously and took a deep measured breath as he steadied himself, back straightening and his jaw settling in determination as he forced himself forward down the street; No he thought calmly, he had to face her or he would only be haunted for god only knows how long by it. He had never ran away from a challenge before and he wasn't about to start now; he would never be able to forgive himself if he did.

Even still he found himself hesitating, his heart suddenly pounding away inside his rib cage like a demented rock band drummer, sending vibrations racing through his chest. Small beads of sweat trickled down the side of his face as images of his former rival flashed through his head, her red hair blazing like crimson flames as light filtered through it; fierce and passion all contained in a such a small but powerful form. He blinked as his heart suddenly raced faster with the startling realization that it wasn't just fear of her killing him.

He was anxious to see her again...

The teenager shook his head to clear his mind, trying to shake loose the distracting images of her that surfaced in his mind. Now more than ever he cursed Ranma's lack of feminine modesty in the past, as the heat rose rapidly in his cheeks. It was a miracle his nose wasn't bleeding!

As the clouds passed over the sun, casting long shadows that blanketed the streets, Ryoga came to a sudden stop as the hairs prickled the base of his neck, sending a cold shiver of warning through his body as he felt an uneasy weariness creep into his stomach. Without a second hesitation he pulled a bandanna from his head and sent it splitting through a tree over hanging the street. There was a crack of wood splitting and the branches weight tearing it away from the rest of the tree, depositing it on the road ahead of him.

But not before two forms leapt from within the concealment of leafs and sticks and soared into the air. Ryoga couldn't help but blink in surprise when the two forms that landed in half crouches a few feet ahead of him, turned out to be Ukyo and Shampoo, with their respective weapons in hand.

He didn't miss the evil glares they gave him either.

"What are you two doing?" he asked in confusion.

Ukyo's hands tightened on the shaft of her weapon, as she growled dangerously. "We've been waiting for you!"

Before he had time to register her meaning, the two girls came charging with furious battle cries, their weapons crashing down with murderous intent as their eyes flashed with raging fury. Ryoga threw himself backwards in desperation a second before the weapons slammed into the ground and disintegrated a crater beneath them. He felt his heart racing as he rolled backwards and came back to his feet, just in time to see Ukyo's giant spatula thrusting forward at his head; he spun to the side, but he was a fraction slower than he should have been, the sharpened corner of the spatula's serving end slicing lightly across his cheek and sending a small splattering of blood.

Fiery pain erupted across the side of his face, followed by a surge of irritated anger. He went to grab the spatula out of her hand, only for Shampoo to slam a chuii into his shoulder and the second into his head. The Amazon girl's strength was enough that he was sent flying sideways into a wall. He bounced off it with a oomph, leaving a spider web of cracks as large as his body; he stumbled and snarled as he struggled to regain his footing even as the two girls came charging at him again.

Ryoga roared as he jabbed his fingers into the road.

"_Bakusai Tenketsu_!"

The road exploded in massive shower of concussive force and fragments of concrete that hammered the two girls in mid air and blasted them backwards across the road; Shampoo slammed into a retaining wall like limp doll as Ukyo flew straight into a lamp post with enough force that it bent dramatically upon impact. Both girls groaned as they struggled to pick themselves up.

"Enough!" Ryoga snapped at them. "I'm not going to fight either of you. This has nothing to d-"

Ryoga leapt to the side a split second before a spiked ball of metal smashed into the ground where he had been standing, shattering a large section of road. Mousse landed several feet away and yanked the chained ball back to his hand. An enraged battle aura burned around him.

"You dare harm my precious Shampoo!" the Chinese boy snarled. 'You'll pay with your worthless life Ryoga!"

Any other time he would have been happily confident about smacking the ill sighted, love sick fool around like a rag doll, but he couldn't remember when he had last slept and was starving and so light headed that he felt like he was on the verge of passing out. Even Shampoo's attacks had left his shoulder aching and the side of his face throbbing painfully, not to mention he should have been able to dodge Ukyo's. He was still far from giving in, but Mousse was a normal fighter; the long haired teenager was sneaky and literally had a thousand or more tricks up his sleeves.

To make matters worse, both Shampoo and Ukyo were already getting to their feet, ready for more. Normally he wouldn't even think twice about fighting girls, but he knew first hand that these two were far from defenceless and would not be ignored. Nor would they hold back if they were really serious.

Fighting all three of them at the same time was going to be problematic.

Better to make the fight his own then!

Ryoga leapt at Mousse without warning, surprising the long haired boy. Ryoga blasted apart the ground at Mousse's feet, the explosion of concussive force and fragments of road lifting him up and throwing him into the air. Ryoga spun at the shadows in the corner of his eye and rolled sideways as Shampoo's hammer weapons smashed into the ground. She whirled around with her cat like reflexes and grace, whipping the chuii around at his chest. Ryoga blocked with his hands and used the force of her attack to put some distance between them, soaring backwards, only for Ukyo to appear out of nowhere and slam him into the ground with the flat side of her spatula.

Stars exploded in his eyes as he slammed into the ground; he pushed the resulting waves of disorientating pain aside and leapt to his feet as Mousse appeared overhead and sent an iron ball and chain crashing down on where he had been. Ryoga leapt up and slammed a fist into his stomach and dragged him back down to earth, and pounded him into the road. With all his might Mousse drove his feet into Ryoga's chest and sent the martial artist flying, his clawed slippers shredding through fabric and leaving lines of nasty cuts across the other's front.

Mousse flipped on to his feet, sending a wave of chained and roped weapons flying from his sleeves, only for them to be knocked wildly off target by an equal number of bandana shurikans Ryoga sent smashing into them as he sailed back through the air and landed in a crouch; sweat trickling down his face and grimacing as he grasped at the wounds. They weren't nearly as bad as they felt, but that did not make the fiery throb any less prominent. It was time to stop messing around; Mousse could be incredibly determined when his desire to win was high enough.

"How did they convince you to get involved in this?" Ryoga demanded in a bid bide a little time as he cast weary glances at the circling girls. "You've never cared about anything that happened to Ranma, so why?"

'Because,' Mousse said, the sun flaring off his glasses as he finally turned and a wide glorious grin spread across his face. 'Shampoo promised to go on a date with me if I helped her!'

Ryoga nearly fell over in disbelief. "You're such a fool."

"I'm a fool in love!" the other boy shouted as he leapt dramatically and sent a rope dart flying from his sleeve.

Ryoga snatched the rope out of mid air, feeling a surge of satisfaction as Mousse flinched in surprise. "No, you're just a fool!"

With a violent twist of his wrist, he yanked the stunned boy off his feet and across the gap between them. Ryoga spun and nailed Mousse square in the face with the kick and sent him flying, flipping end over end across the Nerima ward.

"Lost boy no win yet!"

He spun in time to avoid an otherwise devastating attack from Shampoo as her chuii cleaved down through the space beside him and struck the ground with incredible force. He caught the furious rage quivering in her eyes, a cold anger that sent shivers shooting through his body. The fact that she had missed only served to increase the intensity of anger behind those magenta orbs.

Ukyo suddenly leapt over Shampoo and with a battle cry and swinging her spatula around in a wide arc like a katana. The lost boy flashed back to the first time he met the Okonomiyaki chef, and the power of her strike then. Ryoga ducked and felt the pressure of the weapon passing over his head, before attacking the ground attack with his breaking point and blasting the two girls with another shower of broken ground, driving them backwards as they dropped their guard to protect themselves from the rain of shards.

"Stop this before you get hurt!" he growled.

Ukyo sneered, blood sweeping from a light nick across the ridge of her cheek. "Don't take us so lightly just because we're girls."

Ryoga could only growl with frustration, wondering how the hell he had wound up in this situation; all he wanted to do was make amends. Everything was complicated enough as it was without these two interfering.

"We no give up!" Shampoo declared stubbornly, even as she and Ukyo breathed heavily, the toll of the breaking point explosions starting to take their toll.

Moving in unison like a pair of lioness's rushing to take down their prey, the two girls charged with determined battle cries that echoed throughout the street like incredible roars. Their weapons flashed through the air, missing their target over and over again by no more than a hairs width as Ryoga continuously hopped backwards just out of their relatively shorter reach. Where one missed the other compensated by pushing the attack harder and faster, and with each attack he felt their weapons grow closer and closer.

Then the world around him suddenly spun out of control as he slipped suddenly and stumbled backwards on a chunk of rubble, and slammed hard into the ground in shock, unable to stop himself.

"We've got you now!"

Ryoga snapped his head upward as the girls leapt into the air with their weapons poised to strike. He wanted to move, to evade the coming assault, but time seemed to slow as he stared up at them. Then they were suddenly descending with incredible battle cries echoing through the street. Ryoga cringed and closed his eyes, bracing himself to endure the coming attacks...

...but they didn't come.

Ryoga slowly, cautiously peaked an eye open, and found his entire vision filled with the unmistakeable sight of a leg mere centimetres from his face. He glanced up to see a familiar mess of red hair and gasped in unison with Ukyo and Shampoo.

"Ranma."

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The air was filled with a heavy, overwhelming silence that wrapped itself around the three girls and the boy on the ground. Ranma stood there with one hand wrapped around the neck of Ukyo's spatula, the other grasping the shaft of one of Shampoo's chui and trapping the other hammer weapon beneath her foot, with no more effort than it would have taken to hold a toddler from running away. Ukyo and Shampoo couldn't tear their eyes away from the red head as she glared into their souls with a look that rivalled any fury they had ever seen from her before. All around the red head a blue battle aura flared like a raging inferno, filled to the brim with her anger and stretching out to freeze the other two in place.

With a barely any effort at all Ranma crushed the chui beneath her foot as she snapped the shaft of its twin and bent Ukyo's battle spatula over on itself before flinging it away with a furious hiss that made both girls flinch and step back as the enraged red head.

She slammed her foot down with enough force that a web of cracks appeared beneath it. "What the hell is going on!"

Ranma could see their minds shifting into overdrive, stammering to find an answer as they looked to each other for help. Both of them were scared. They had seen her mad before, they had even seen her pissed, but they had never seen her as furious as she was now. They were scared - and so they should be - and taken aback by her sudden appearance before them. She had caught them off guard, and now they looked like a pair of children caught with their hands in the cookie jar, trying desperately to fathom an excuse.

Ukyo managed to regain a measure of control as she replied. "We were trying to help."

"Help?" Ranma screeched in dismay. "Look at this place!"

The red head threw arm wide, gesturing at the wide spread devastation of her home street, at the craters, the blast damage and the countless gouges and patches of shattered road works, not to mention the broken street posts and holes in breached walls.

"How is this helping?" she all but screamed at them, demanding answers.

Ukyo looked around sheepishly. "He hurt you. It wasn't right, he had to pay."

Ranma felt her face flush with red with a potent, volatile mix of embarrassed rage as she tried hard to ignore his presence behind her.

"Spatula girl right!" Shampoo joined in eagerly. "We make pig boy pay fo-"

"Shut up!" Ranma cut her off sharply, her tone as angry as it was mortified. "I told you all, to leave it alone! It's none of your business and has nothing to do with either of you. But, you stuck your nose in it anyway! Now look at what you have done; you destroyed the street and practically revealed everything that I didn't want people knowing!"

Ukyo and Shampoo seemed to notice for the first time the crowd that had gathered to watch them pummel Ryoga. Even from several blocks away she had heard them hollering at Ryoga for hurting her, for what he did. Everyone would know now; there would be storms of rumours flying around Furinkan when she returned.

"You didn't do this for me," she hissed with growing anger. "You did this to satisfy yourselves!"

"No, that's not true," Ukyo eyes were with desperation as she tried to defend her actions, but the panic of uncertainty was clear in her voice. "He hurt you! We saw how that affected you and we couldn't let that go!"

"That wasn't your decision to make!" Ranma roared, silencing them both as they flinched away.

She felt her entire body trembling with anger as she stared at them, so many things threatening to spill out in a torrent of rage induced curses and insults; it was only with a great measure of self control that she bit her tongue and held herself in check. It didn't help though that neither of them understood why she was angry, and that only made it worse.

"Go," she hissed.

Ukyo hesitated. "Ranma…."

"Get out of my sight!" Ranma snapped, her tone as sharp and loud as the crack of a whip, fury raging in her eyes. "Before I say or do something I'll regret later!"

The silence that followed was heavy and all consuming like the vacuum of space. Ukyo's eyes quivered suddenly, watery as they suffered Ranma's steely gaze, even as Shampoo quietly disappeared, leaving the two of them staring at each other quietly; Ranma knew Ukyo wanted her to say it was ok, but right at the moment it was the last thing she could say.

Finally Ukyo drew away, slowly at first before suddenly picking up speed, and then she was gone as well.

Ranma felt her shoulders slump as she exhaled a deep breath she'd been holding in, trying to quash the anger boiling away inside her. With stiff, tense limbs she started towards her home where her father was already waiting

"Ranma."

The red head stopped abruptly, her jaw tightening as she closed her eyes and took another deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She turned slowly and gave Ryoga the coldest, hardest look she was capable of mustering. The look of remorse on his face did not faze her in the slightest; it didn't stop her heart from suddenly pounding into overdrive, but she would be damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that!

"What?" she asked coldly. "You come to make fun of me for making a fool of myself?"

"No that's no-" he took a step forward, but stopped immediately when she moved a step away. He looked at her in surprise, not knowing how to react. Wisely though, he decided to stay where he was. "That...that's not it."

"Then what?" she snapped, inwardly scolding herself for shying away like that; now he probably thought she was scared of him!

Ryoga was silent as he stared at her; she could almost see his mind racing as he struggled with whatever it was he wanted to say. She couldn't help but think of their last encounter and wondered if he was thinking about the same thing, if that wasn't why he was having trouble. It made her heart race, no matter how hard she tried to stop it. She didn't think they would be seeing each other again so soon, what with his sense of direction and running away aimlessly like he had.

"Just go away." she told him as she tore herself away from his gaze. "I can't deal with you right now."

"I'm sorry!" he blurted out suddenly, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. You caught me off guard and I didn't know what to do.

"So you ran away from me like I was trying to eat your soul," she gaze turned stormy dark as she stared at him.

He sighed. "I know...I'm sorry."

Though didn't come close to extinguishing her anger completely, seeing him looking and sounding so genuinely contrite Ranma felt a measure of anger leave her. She wasn't mad at him so much as she was herself for embarrassing herself the way she had. Even still, she couldn't banish the memory of the look of absolute horror in his eyes when he had thrown her off and ran away.

Her fists tightened painfully. "Fine, you said your peace, now go away."

Ryoga blinked in disbelief as she walked away. "What, that's it?"

"What more do you want?" she snapped without turning to face him.

He raced ahead of her and blocked her path. "You tell me you like me and that you remember kissing m-"

"You kissed me back!" she pointed accusingly, her temper rising rapidly. "I didn't know what I was doing, but you did!"

"Don't you think we should talk this out first?" he frowned deeply.

She laughed harshly. "Oh that's rich. When I wanted to talk things out when you first arrived in Nerima it was all 'die Ranma, die!' but when you want to talk about something it's perfectly fine!"

"That's not fair," he clenched his jaw.

"Yeah well, we've pretty much discovered life isn't fair, haven't we!" she countered irritably.

Ryoga glanced sideways, looking a little uncomfortable. "Ranma, you're causing a scene."

She glanced to the side of the road where a small crowd was watching the two of them, some whispering to each other, and none too quietly either.

"Must be a lovers spat," one woman whispered to a friend.

Her friend nodded in agreement. "Such a shame, they look like such a cute couple."

Her anger fit to burst, Ranma's battle aura flared over the crowd and her head seemed to grow to demonic proportions, fire seeming to spit from her mouth as her eyes glowed red, cowering the onlookers under her horrible gaze as she used the technique Mr Tendo was so adept at using.

"We are not a couple!" she snarled.

The onlookers screamed and scrambled to get away, leaving dust in their wake as they scattered in every direction, screaming monster and demon.

"That'll help," Ryoga muttered dryly.

"Shut up!" the red head snapped as she pushed past him. "Just go away Ryoga, I'm not kidding!"

"No!" he caught her wrist and spun her around to face him.

Ranma felt her heart skip a beat unwillingly at the touch of his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. Heat rose in her cheeks as she averted her eyes with a frustrated clench of her jaw, furious with her own self that she couldn't stop herself from reacting so strongly to him; it wasn't fair that she had to endure this! It was even worse that she knew she couldn't blame it on some magical fishing rod, a stupid bump on the head or Yukino's insidious brain washing. She had to accept that they were her feelings and not by product of something else.

How was she supposed to cope with this?

"We don't have anything to talk about," she growled dangerously and snatched her hand away. "I said what I had to say and you made your feelings pretty damn clear about it!"

"I said I was sorry," Ryoga sighed, clearly flustered.

"Oh, well in that case," sarcasm dripped from the red head's tone like venom before she turned and started away, with an increasingly frustrated Ryoga hot on her heels and the safety of her home only a few metres away.

"I know you're not happy," he snapped irritably. "But I haven't slept in days let alone had anything to eat, all because I wanted to make amends so I'm not going anywhere until we've spoken about this properly."

"I don't want to talk about it!" she all but screamed, her exasperation bursting out of her in a torrent of anger, her face reddening rapidly and body starting to tremble noticeably.

Her outburst caught the boy by surprised and he took a quick step backwards. Ranma was taking long deep breaths, only just managing to stay in control as she glared at him and inwardly scolding herself for letting it get this far. It was bad enough having these god forsaken feelings in the first place, but the fact that she could feel herself getting so upset because of him only dug at the wound like a jagged piece of glass. She hated that she was upset. She hated that he had ran away from her.

Most all she hated herself, for hating that he had.

"I don't want to talk about it," she added more calmly, quietly. "I just want to forget that it ever happened. I want to pretend that I didn't humiliate myself like some stupid love sick little girl."

Then she glared straight into his eyes.

"But most of all I want you, to leave me the hell alone Ryoga!"

Silence descended upon them as they stared at one another; Ryoga looked as though he wanted to argue, and stubbornly hold his ground, but his resolve broke under her icy gaze. Without another word between them, Ryoga awkwardly turned, never having looked more lost and confused as he did then as he tried to decide which way to go. He glanced back over his shoulder suddenly, only to see the Saotome's front door slam shut.

With a disheartened sigh, the Eternal Lost Boy walked aimlessly down the street…

_**To Be Continued**_

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**A/N:**

** Ok, this chapter was an absolute pain in the ass to finish and gave me no end of trouble. I'm glad its done though and I personally am happy with the results, I hope the rest of you enjoyed it as well.**

** Now, as for future chapters.**

** First off, the story _will_ continue without a doubt.**

** Secondly, I will not be starting the next chapter however, until I've had time to completely map out and plan the rest of the chapters remaining, of which there is approximately 7 – 9 remaining before the end.**

** I will be doing it this way because I feel that my recent trouble with the series as stemmed from my lack of planning and relying largely on my general ideas that I had for where I knew the story was going and only spending a short amount of time planning out the sections of the chapter. So I will be starting with the next chapter going back to my old, tried and true method of planning it all down to as much detail as possible in order to prevent delays on future chapters.**

** I repeat however, I WILL finish this series even if it lands me in the loony bin.**

** I just hope this chapter was worth the wait and you'll bear with me to see the story through to the end.**


	24. Chapter 23: Broken Pieces

**A/N: Well here's the next chapter. **

**It took longer than I thought to get this chapter finished. Aside from an overwhelming work load of assignments and assessments I had to prioritize over personal projects such as this, I've also been fairly sick with a severe cold that's left me coughing and hacking my guts up and drained me of much of my energy and drive to do anything.**

**Its only been in the last couple of days that my energy has started to return that I've managed to get the rest of the chapter finished, so I hope its up to scratch.**

**I'm hoping the next chapter wont take as long to write, since content wise its fairly small compared to other chapters, and now that I'm on holidays I should have more time to work on the story and hopefully, I should have my laptop fixed within the next few days so I wont be confined to my uncomfortable desk chair when writing.**

**In other news, hit 500 reviews yesterday! Woot!**

**Additionally I'm also thinking of drawing up "cover art" for the story too.**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

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Chapter 23

_Broken Pieces_

The canal was filled with the sound of rushing water as runoff and melted snow was deposited into it and fed miles away into Tokyo harbour. The water sparkled like crystal as the sun, though far from warm shone brightly in the cloudless sky, as if challenging bad weather to try and ruin the relatively beautiful day. It seemed like more and more days were quickly becoming frequently brighter and clearer with spring waiting just around the corner, ready to banish the cold memory of winter.

Ryoga sat on the grassy bank, oblivious to cold dampness soaking his backside as he stared intently at the bright flashes of light bouncing off the surface of the water, his face twisted in a frown of deep contemplation. His return to Nerima had been nothing like he had expected it to be, and it seemed like things were going from bad to worse and it troubled him to no end.

To say he was sick of it would have been an understatement.

The events of the other day were still fresh in his mind, as he'd been barely able to think about little else and he had to wonder how he had managed to screw everything up so badly, so quickly. The look of anguished fury on Ranma's face was burned into the forefront of his mind. He couldn't help but think that a handful of months ago he would have rejoiced at causing such a reaction in his long time rival. But, the more he thought about it now the more he realized that the real loser in this situation wasn't Ranma at all; it was himself.

With an aggravated grunt he flung a large rock into the waters.

Inwardly he wasn't sure why he felt so guilty and aggravated with himself. He had tried to do the right thing. He had tried to talk things out reasonably and apologize; he had even acknowledged that he had done the wrong thing by running away and he was sincerely sorry he had reacted that way. If she wasn't willing to meet him half way though then that was her problem, not his and he shouldn't be the one that had to shoulder all the blame for it.

So why didn't he believe that?

The teenager flopped backwards in exasperation and glared at the sky.

Deep down he knew it was more complicated than a case of her simply being irrationally mad at him. When it came to Ranma – at least lately – nothing was simple anymore, and as much as it confused him the idea of her hating him felt like a white hot dagger being driven through his chest and twisted mercilessly. The way she'd looked at him when she told him to leave her the hell alone left him feeling like the biggest jerk in the world and he couldn't figure out why.

He could take Ukyo and Shampoo laying all the blame on him…

…Not Ranma though.

Suddenly his eyes widened dramatically as terrifying thought occurred to him.

"_Could I be fa–"_

"Hey, Ryoga."

The dark haired teenager whirled around in surprise to find Akane standing there with her hands clasping her book bag behind her back and a cheery smile spread across her face. The slight breeze ruffled her school uniform and tickled her fringe. She looked like a fresh burst of sunshine, refreshing and full of energy.

"Akane, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise as he tried to recover his wits.

"I was on my way home when I saw sitting down here all by yourself," she explained as she tucked her dress beneath her and sat down next to him. "After what happened the other day I wanted to see how you were doing."

He couldn't help but wince. "You heard about that huh?"

Akane nearly laughed. "Heard about it? Its all everyone at school is talking about."

Ryoga groaned, feeling himself sinking deeper and wishing he could find a nice deep dark hole to climb in and hide from the world. He could only imagine how pissed Ranma must be now. She was definitely going to try and kill him, he was certain of it.

How had things become so horribly messed up?

"I suppose Ranma's foaming at the mouth and out for blood?" he asked hesitantly.

Akane sighed slightly. "Well she's not happy about it as you can probably imagine but really she just needs some time to cool down, that's all."

Ryoga wasn't so sure about that; Ranma wasn't just pissed this time. She was hurting, he had seen it in her eyes, a volatile emotions that threatened to burst through the precarious hold she had on them. When she had blown up at him this time it wasn't like when she blamed him for her being trapped the way it was. No, this time it was different, this time she was hurt. How was he suppose to make amends for that?

Especially when she didn't want to talk to him.

"I think I really messed things up this time Akane," he replied gloomily.

"Oh come on, Ranma will get over this soon enough and the two of you will be laughing this off in no time at all," Akane said reassuringly. "Ranma's just confused, that's all and she knows it wasn't your fault Ukyo and Shampoo started that fight, you were just defending yourself. Once she's had time to digest everything she'll be fine."

He couldn't prevent the frown from that spread across his face. "If I hadn't been such a coward and not ran away in the first place, none of this would have happened. Hell, if I had been paying more attention I would have been able to dodge Kinnii's attack, and then they wouldn't have taken Ranma, she wouldn't have been tortured and brain washed and she would never have gone berserk and everything would be fine."

Akane gave him a patient look. "Ryoga, you can't dwell on the what if's or the maybes. You don't know that things would be better if things had happened differently. For all you know things could have been a lot worse. I know what Ranma went through was horrible, but at the same time I think she needed to go through that in order to move on."

Ryoga sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Ranma wasn't the only one affected by everything that happened in the last couple of months."

Akane tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

He was silent for a long time, staring at his hands and feet, and the ground and the water rushing past. He stared at everything except her as he tried to sort through his thoughts. He knew this was eventually going to come out.

"Akari and I broke up."

Akane's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. "What? Why?"

Ryoga sighed and started to explain, telling her all about everything that had happened after he returned to Akari's. He hesitated when he got to the incident on the cliff and his mistake in the heat of the moment when he called out Ranma's name instead of Akari's, but told her anyway. All she could do was gape at him shock and disbelief.

"Ryoga..." she said quietly."Do you have feelings for Ranma?"

"No," he said quickly; too quickly. He shook his head in exasperation. "I don't know. Everything is so confusing lately, I don't know what I'm feeling. Except that whenever I'm around her she does something to me that I don't know how to deal with. The fact that she's hurting because of me, because of something I did makes me feel like I've been swallowing razor blades. I want to make things right, I want to apologize but she won't let me!"

Akane stared at him in disbelief, overwhelmed by his surprising revelation. They sat in silence for the longest time, both of them trying to process it all. Part of him did feel better for getting it off his chest though, some of the tension leaving his body. If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be sitting here talking to the girl he's had a crush on since he met her, about possibly having feelings for his former rival, he would have laughed in their face.

"You should tell her," Akane told him suddenly, catching him by surprise. "You should tell her so she knows what she's feeling isn't one sided."

He shook his head. "No, I can't tell her yet."

"But why not?" Akane demanded with a frown, clearly frustrated.

"Because I've done enough to make her life miserable as it is without adding to it. I made a mistake rushing back to apologize. What Ranma needs is for me to stay away from her for a while," he explained.

Akane huffed slightly. "Ranma doesn't need you deciding what she does and doesn't need."

"I know that," he nodded calmly. "Regardless, she does need me to stay away from her, for her sake and mine. At least until I figure out what's going on in here," he tapped his chest. "Before I tell her anything. So please Akane promise me that you won't say a word to Ranma before I do, please."

Akane stared at him in silence, chewing her lower lip in a mixture of frustration and uncertainty. Finally she sighed under the desperation of his gaze and nodded reluctantly.

"Fine," she said finally. "I don't like it and I think you're making a mistake, but ok. I won't say anything to Ranma but _you_ should, and soon before you both cause yourselves more harm than good."

…

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….

Ranma stared up at the clear skies with a dull gloomy cast to her baby blue eyes. Her mood wasn't bolstered by the beautiful day, nor by the cheery dispositions of everyone else around her as she left the school amongst the crowd of students. She sighed as she hurried past them all, pretending not to notice the many, many looks they gave her as she walked by.

Inwardly she cringed; it had only been a couple of days since she'd had the big argument with Ryoga and word of it had spread like wild fire.

And it had left her with mixed feelings all round.

On one hand, the revelation about her feelings for Ryoga had made many of the other girls relax around her for a change; hell, the fact that she'd been hurt by Ryoga and thanks to Ukyo and Shampoo talking smack about the guy had caused many of the girls to rally behind her in support, something she found amusing, if not a little disturbing.

On the other hand, the revelation about her feelings for Ryoga had bolstered the confidence of pretty much every guy in the school who thought they stood a chance of getting her to go out with them.

Needless to say, she was exhausted...and irritable.

It wasn't like she was new to having the drooling morons tripping all over themselves for her though. Even when they had found out about her curse the fact that she had really been a guy didn't deter them all that much. Even still, it wasn't the same anymore and she was still feeling raw over the whole thing with Ryoga and she didn't need these idiots offering to "take her away from it all." As if she would take them up on it.

This was all Ukyo and Shampoo's fault, she was certain. If those two had just kept their big noses out of affairs that had nothing to do with them, then she probably would have been in a better mood to sit down and talk it out with Ryoga like he had wanted. And, she had been in a better mood when she had arrived back with her father, but all that had been immediately replaced with anger the second she saw the state of the street.

And to make matters worse Ryoga knew she was pissed and in no state to sit down and talk rationally, he wasn't that big a fool; but no, he had to push and push until he hit that wrong nerve!

When she had calmed down afterwards, she had felt somewhat bad for reacting the way she had, but all the same she wasn't going to just buckle and be ok because Ryoga wanted to talk; no way in hell was she going to let him dictate the situation just because it suited him.

...It didn't stop her from inwardly scolding herself.

No matter how much she wanted to pretend she was still mad with him, she just couldn't shake the heady feeling she got whenever he was around. As it was she had nearly caved when she saw him standing on the side of the street looking more lost than she had ever seen him look in all the time she had known him for; it had been a struggle just to force herself to flee inside the house, where she damn near cursed herself out.

It wasn't fair that he had the ability to affect her to such a degree, to set her heart a flutter with just a look and make her knees weaken. She didn't like this feeling, she didn't like it one bit.

She punched a telephone pole in frustration, sighing with exasperation as cracks spread out from the indentation her fist left in the pole.

'I should go talk to him and get it over and done with,' she whispered quietly to herself after a minute of silence, letting her arm drop limply to her side. 'It's not like I can be embarrassed or humiliated anymore than I already am.'

That did very little to make her feel better about it though.

With a great deal of reservation, she headed off in the direction of Ryoga's camp site. She was in no real hurry though and petulantly dragged her feet to forestall their meeting. The thought of talking to him wasn't the most exciting of prospects, and she didn't exactly trust herself around him at the moment. But, if she didn't go and see him she was going to lose her nerve and the kami only knew when she might find it again.

No, she thought with a deep steadying breath, she had to do this now while she still could.

As she walked, coming closer and closer to her destination with each step she felt a familiar flutter of nervousness stirring in her stomach. The closer she got, stronger the feeling grew and several times she nearly turned and headed home; it was only with a great deal of self control and pride that she made herself continue forward. Over and over again she reminded herself that she had faced situations far more dire than this, when she had faced Kirrin and Touma, and Herb and Saffron. This was nothing compared to those times, and she had made a bigger ass of herself during the whole Touma incident all for a possible cure.

Talking to Ryoga was a cake walk compared to those times. At least that's what she tried to convince herself.

When she reached the bridge that crossed the canal however, her stomach suddenly felt like it had twisted into a knot and all her arguments pushing her onward were abruptly shoved aside as her heart started to race.

On the other side of the canal, sitting on the grassy bank, was Ryoga.

And Akane...

Panicking, Ranma ducked behind the wide pole at the start of the bride, easily hiding her small frame. She peaked around the side, inwardly berating herself for being such a moron, but she found her body frozen in place as she anxiously spied on her ex-fiancée and the young man she now found herself having feelings for. Neither of them had noticed her though, too busy with their conversation.

The two of them sat close to one another several feet from the edge of the water. Ranma clenched her jaw tight, grinding her molars together as her fingers crushed a piece off the pole; they were too close.

She chewed her lower lip anxiously as she watched them. Ryoga looked relaxed around Akane for a change, rather than the nervous stammering wreck he usually was around her. He didn't even react when Akane suddenly patted him on the back, an act that only a few months ago would have turned him catatonic with shock and joy.

"He'll never feel that for me," she thought bitterly.

With a sneer through clenched teeth, the red head whirled away from her hiding spot and ran off.

…

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….

The dojo was filled with the sound of rapid impacts.

Ranma's fist lashed out with blinding speed against the punching bag, her body shifting with all the grace and beauty of water as she suddenly jumped and smashed her foot into the heavy canvas bag of sand. Sweat beaded on her forehead and saturated her hair, flying away from her with every sharp and sudden movement. She lost track of time since she had came home and started taking her frustration out on the punch bag. The wraps around her hands were frayed and coming apart from the repeated impacts.

Muscles tightened and teeth grounded against one another; she couldn't get them out her head. With a vicious growl she slammed a dead round house kick into the training implement with such force that the bag bent around her leg before the canvas suddenly ripped open and dumped its sandy contents across the floor of the dojo.

Breathing heavily and trying to catch her breath Ranma swore angrily at the mess and wiped away the layer of sweat from her forehead. With a weary sigh of exasperation she retrieved a broom from the corner of the hall and started to clean up the mess, making a mental note to find something stronger to pummel that wont make such a big mess.

Anger and annoyance welled inside her like the surging waves on an incoming tide, swells of irritation plaguing her as she kept seeing them, try as she might to put the two from her mind. She gritted her teeth and swept up the pile of sand into several buckets and sat them off to the side out of the way.

What did it matter anyway? They could do whatever the hell they wanted to for all she cared! She didn't ask to have these damn feelings in the first place anyway.

With a spiteful huff she threw the broom back into its original resting place with a loud resounding thwack as it hit the wall and fell to the floor with a crash.

"Well, whatever the broom did I'm sure it had that coming."

Ranma turned to find Akane standing in the door way to the training hall, smiling cheerily at her own joke as she invited herself in. Ranma just looked at her sourly.

"What do you want?" she asked coolly.

Akane shrugged. "We haven't talked for a while; I wanted to see how you were after what happened the other day."

"I'm fine," Ranma replied shortly as she hefted a replacement punching bag into place and cast the ruined remains of the old one aside. "And there's nothing to talk about."

"No, it's not like you had a shouting match with the guy you claim you like in the middle of the street," the other girl waved her hand dismissively. "Oh wait, you did."

Ranma gave her a cold look, feeling her anger welling up in her like rising flood waters. "Let it go Akane, it has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me?" Akane demanded in disbelief. "You're one of my best friends; I'm just concerned about you."

"Well no one asked you to be!" Ranma snapped.

Akane's eyes blazed angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you being like this?"

Ranma felt her jaw tighten to breaking point as the two locked gazes. She was in no mood to deal with her ex-fiancée; just the sound of her voice was enough to set her teeth on edge and her naiveté only made matters worse. How Ryoga could ever love someone so damn clueless was beyond her. No at that moment the very last person she could deal with, was Akane.

"I just want to help," Akane added in irritable confusion, trying to maintain her calm.

"I didn't ask for your pity!" Ranma hissed sharply before turning her attention back to the punching bag. "And I certainly didn't ask for you to stick your nose into my business."

Akane fumed openly, obviously confused by Ranma's untempered hostility. "I didn't come by to see you out of pity. You're one of my best friends Ranma, I care about you."

Ranma barked harshly, but there wasn't even a shred of amusement in her tone, only outrage and bitterness. "And it only took me being trapped like this for the rest of my life, for you to say that. You barely even wanted to acknowledge me before, but now that I'm a different kind of freak of nature you talk to me civilly and don't blame me for every little stupid thing; it didn't matter if it was my fault or not!"

"That's not true," Akane replied in disbelief, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"You can stop pretending you give a damn about me Akane, we're not engaged anymore," the red head snapped. "You made it perfectly clear the first day we met you thought I was nothing but a perverted freak and that you didn't want me in your life, that all I was, was an embarrassment. Well you don't have to pretend any more, little miss perfect; we're not engaged anymore so you can turn around and go back to the precious happy life you had before we met!"

Akane stood rooted in place with shock, her jaw hanging open and her eyes welling with tears of hurt. Ranma's furious baby blues glared their way through her heart. She couldn't bring herself to care. She knew she was being irrational and her ranting made little to no sense, but she couldn't contain the anger she felt.

She just wanted to be alone.

"Fine!" Akane shouted, her voice wavering as she tried to contain her own fury. "If that's all you really think of me after all we've been through, I won't bother you anymore. I hope you enjoy being alone for the rest of your!"

With that the upset teenager whirled around and stormed out of the training hall with tears in her eyes. Ranma, determined to get the last word called after her.

"I will you stuck up lit-"

"Ranma Saotome!" the red head came to a screeching halt as her mother stepped through the entrance, hands perched on her hips and eyes blazing furiously. "What in the world is going on? I could here you shouting from inside the house and then Akane just rush by in tears."

The red head gathered her resolve and replied. "Yeah well the truth hurts."

"Ranma!" her mother looked at her in shock. "What has gotten into you? I know you've been upset about this whole situation with Ryoga, but taking it out on Akane isn't going to help."

"I don't care about Ryoga," she lied sharply.

Nodoka frowned. "Ranma you are many things, but you are not a good liar. So stop acting like your woes are the only ones of importance. Akane came to see how you were doing and you attacked her when all she's guilty of is being a good friend! "

Ranma looked away, cursing her mother as she struggled to blink back the tears of frustration she felt welling behind her eyes and immediately feeling the stirrings of regret. She would be damned if she was going to cry about it though; she refused to!

Seeing her daughter struggling so visibly, Nodoka shook her head with a heavy sigh. "Oh Ranma. What are you doing Honey? I know you're not really angry with Akane."

"But I am!" Ranma snapped. "I'm angry with her, I'm angry with Ryoga and I'm angry with myself. It doesn't matter what I do, nothing works out right. I only end up screwing everything up. I try to tell Ryoga how I feel, he freaks out and runs away. He tries to apologize, I drive him away. I get up the nerve to go see him again, and I see the two of them together and I can't stop myself from turning into a green eyed jealous bitch! How am I not supposed to be angry!"

She threw a punch at the punching bay with a screech of frustration, the chain links snapping as the bag was sent sailing through the air to land with a heavy crash several feet away.

"I can't do anything right..."

And like that, the damn burst and she suddenly couldn't hold it back anymore. The red head sank slowly to her knees as tears trickled down her face and peppering her pants in damp dots that turned the fabric grey.

"Oh Ranma!" her mother rushed forward to envelop her in a hug. "Come here."

Ranma screwed her eyes closed in angry defeat. She hated herself so much at that moment, unable to stem the flow of tears that cascaded down her cheeks. She couldn't even muster the strength to shrug off her mother's comforting embrace, sobbing softly as she buried her head in her mother's shoulder, feeling lower than she had in months.

A few months earlier she would never have allowed this. This wasn't her, she didn't cry like some silly little girl just because things weren't going the way she thought they would. Yet here she was, sobbing like a child, sobbing!

Sobbing about a boy at that!

There was no end to the loathing she felt for herself.

"I can't stand this," she hissed between sniffles. "I can't stand feeling this way. I hate it! I didn't even want these damn feelings in the first place and now they're causing me no end of trouble. What can I do to get rid of them?"

Nodoka patted and rubbed her back soothingly as she replied. "You can't just throw them away dear."

Ranma felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach. Inwardly she despaired that she would be caught in this emotional maelstrom for the rest of her life, unable to find a measure of peace.

"Feelings aren't something you can just flick on and off like a light switch," her mother continued calmly. "They aren't something that can be tamed or discarded at will. Especially when it relates to matters of the heart. And deny it as much as want but I'm pretty sure you realize that deep down you care deeply for this boy, as much as you did or do for Akane. You can't run away from it because they're part of you and all you succeed in doing is isolating yourself from those that you can rely on. I know it's not in your nature to rely on others for help, but has trying to go this alone made you feel any better?"

Wiping her large watery eyes, Ranma shook her head no, silent as she struggled to rein in the overwhelming emotions she felt trying to express themselves.

"No," Nodoka agreed compassionately. "If anything, you've made things harder for yourself. You need friends honey, especially friends as close as Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo are to you; the three of you have been through so much in the last couple of years and I would hate for this experience to come between you all, especially when all they want to do is help, but unless you confide in them, they don't know how to and that leads to what happened the other day."

"You think I should let those two off the hook?" Ranma wasn't too fond of that idea.

"I am suggesting that you think long and hard about how you want to travel this path you've found yourself on," her mother clarified. "Alone, or in the company of those you can trust."

Ranma fell silent, only occasionally sniffling as her turbulent emotions subsided in a choppy ocean of uncertainty. Her mother certainly made a lot of sense as she definitely wasn't getting anywhere by herself, no matter how much she hated admitting that there were things she couldn't do by herself. After all that was how she was raised and all she knew really, deprived of many of the experiences and life lessons normal people learnt in their childhood, though she knew this wasn't the case with everyone. Even still she didn't know how to rely on others completely, especially not in personal matters; even joining forces with other fighters to confront a common threat was a challenge.

"I'm too much of a control freak," she realized with a heavy sigh, the idea of being anything else seemed to be completely and utterly impossible.

Her mother smiled encouragingly. "All the more reason you need to learn to accept and ask for help from those you care about and who care about you."

Ranma's gaze only became gloomier. "I don't think I have many of those left anymore."

"Nonsense," Nodoka assured her sharply. "There are few things that can't be fixed by talking. I know for someone like you that seems contrary to everything you've been raised to believe but believe it or not there are situations apart from physical conflict that can't be solved with hands and feet. If you want to patch things up between you and your friends than you're going to need to take the first step, since you made it abundantly clear to the others that you didn't want to see them, so they're hardly going to try and talk to you if it means angering you. At least with Ukyo and Shampoo. With Akane you are the one at fault this time and you need to humble yourself and apologize to the poor girl before it's too late to make amends."

"You make it sound so simple," Ranma felt her frustration returning, though it was mild in comparison to what it had been.

Nodoka sighed with a slight hint of exasperation. "Ranma it is the simplest thing in the world. If you are not prepared to sever your friendships with these girls then you must not let your petty ego get in the way of fixing things. Now, are you prepared to do what you must, or are you going to sit here and let it all slip through your fingers?"

…

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….

Akane was strewn across her bed with her head buried in the pillows, her eyes sore and red, and her face streaked with tears as she struggled to sort through the tangled mess of confusion and pain wrapping around her heart. It was a small miracle that was no one was home to hear her soft, occasional sobs and sniffles as her tears ran their course. She was simply glad she didn't have to explain what had happened to anyone.

She didn't even know what had happened.

The teenager shuddered at the memory of the pure hate and spite in Ranma's furious gaze. Ranma had never looked at her like that before, or said such horrible things to her. Sure they had bickered and argued more times than was possible to count, but never did she think they would ever fight like they had today.

"What did I do to make Ranma so angry?" she wondered to herself.

The only time she remembered seeing the red head so irrationally enraged was when she had blamed Ryoga for her original body being destroyed. So what had she done that had led to the hostility she had been met with earlier?

_Tap, tap…_

The dark haired girl lifted her heavy head, blinking back beads of tears that blurred her sore and tired vision. She blinked a couple of times before the distorted shape at the window came into focus and she saw Ranma perched upside down, wearing a nervous expression.

Akane frowned and stomped over to the window and yanked the blinds down before returning to the bed in a huff.

"Aww, come on Akane," Ranma pleaded, tapping against the window repeatedly. "Please open up."

"Go away!" she folded her arms rolled on to her other side so her back was to the window.

"Please Akane, I just need to talk," the red head persisted. "Please!"

"You're the one who told me to leave you alone," the dark haired girl hissed.

"I know, I was wrong," Ranma said suddenly, catching the girl by surprise. She could hear the red head sigh heavily. "Please Akane; just let me in to explain."

The silence that followed was long and heavy, blanketing everything as Akane stubbornly glared at the wall in contemplation. After a long time she reluctantly heaved herself up off the bed and went to the window. She drew the blinds openly sharply and slid the window open, the glare never leaving her face.

"Make it quick," she demanded coldly.

Ranma entered the room with her trade mark grace and fluidity, and as she straightened and the light of the room illuminated her face, Akane her resolve waver. Ranma eyes were as red as her own and streaked with dried tears; the red head stood there, looking meek and emotionally beaten. Were this anyone else, anyone at all the simple fact that someone looked like they had been crying wouldn't have unnerved her, but she had only ever seen Ranma look this way after she had tried and failed to kill Ryoga behind the school and had her emotional break down. Here she stood though, looking like she had been put through the wringer again.

"Ranma-"

"No," the red head put her hand up to silence her gently. "Please, just let me say what I have to say and then I'll go."

The desperation in her tone shot through Akane like a gun shot. "O-ok."

Ranma took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm sorry Akane. What I said to you was cruel, cold hearted and most all untrue. I should never have said those things to you, let alone take my stupid jealously out on you when all you've been for the last few months is one of the most helpful and supportive people in my life when you could have easily had enough of my stupid childishness and saved yourself a lot of trouble. I know asking you to forgive me for being such a heartless jerk is a lot to ask, but the idea of us not even being friends... it kills me inside."

Fresh tears had started to bead in the corners of the red head's eyes, and as she scrubbed them away with the back of her sleeve, Akane could only stare at her in shock and disbelief. Of all the things she had expected to come out of the ruby haired girl's mouth, this certainly wasn't it.

Whatever hurt or betrayal Akane felt, melted away as she stared at the vulnerably fidgeting red head. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around her and drew her into a hug. Ranma stiffened in surprise, half expecting no doubt to be crushed like a bug; slowly but surely though, she relaxed and returned the hug, a great burden lifting off her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Akane," Ranma added. "I really am."

Akane guided her over to edge of the bed where they sat down in silence. Ranma stared at the ground between her feet quietly, while Akane couldn't take her eyes off her, so confused by the constant turns of the day's events. Between their hostile argument earlier and Ranma's heartfelt apology now, she wasn't sure what to think. She could only manage a somewhat bemused smile as she sighed in exasperation.

Then she frowned. "What were you jealous about?"

Ranma flinched noticeably and her cheeks flushed pink as she looked away. "Um... Its nothing, it's silly."

"Ranma," Akane looked at her in frustration. "After what happened today I deserve to know what caused it to happen in the first place."

Ranma sighed heavily with deep reservation. "I saw you with Ryoga at the canal."

Akane's frown only deepened with her growing confusion. "I don't understand. Why would that make you jealous? You know Ryoga is only a friend. I just wanted to see if he was ok."

Ranma gave her a patient, if not trying look. "I know you don't think of him that way. But Akane, Ryoga has had a mad crush on you since he first met you."

You could have knocked the dark haired girl over with a feather. Her eyes widened with shock as she stared at the red head, thinking the girl was putting her on, but the weary seriousness that filled Ranma's eyes spoke volumes.

"What?" she finally managed, wanting to make sure she'd heard right.

Ranma rolled her eyes in exasperation. "It never ceases to amaze me just how oblivious you can be. Why did you think Ryoga was always tripping over himself in front of you? When he hit me with that damn koi rod, he was aiming for you Akane. And that's just one of many, many examples I can name off the top of my head, but you were oblivious to them each and every time."

Akane felt herself flush with embarrassment as she thought back over the time she had known the boy. All of a sudden so many of Ryoga's strange antics in the past made so much more sense now and left her feeling a little awkward. It wasn't that she didn't find him attractive; he possessed many of the same qualities that she had found attractive in Ranma, but he always seemed like more of a big brother than anything else, a friend she knew she could always depend on.

"Wait," she looked at Ranma in shock. "You saw the two of us together and thought I was what? Trying to steal him away from you?"

The red sighed and shook her head. "No. Not really, no. When I saw the two of you and Ryoga talking calmly like a normal person with you, acting comfortable and at ease around you I just started thinking, he'll never be like that with me, not really; once I started thinking that I couldn't stop myself from resenting you so much. It was stupid."

Akane stared helplessly at the girl, not knowing what to say.

Ranma smiled bitterly. "I don't know why I'm getting all worked up for anyway. Ryoga's still got Akari and I've caused enough trouble for her as it is."

At the mention of Akari, Akane felt her heart leap and she nearly spilled her guts; but, Ryoga had made her promise not to say anything to the red head, not until he at least had the chance to do it himself and she wasn't about to break that promise. Even still, it wasn't fair that Ranma didn't know that Ryoga and Akari had broken up, not when she obviously cared so much about him; the idea that she would torture herself by trying not to interfere in something that was already over stabbed at her.

"You never know," Akane said hesitantly, realizing she was treading upon dangerous ground. "Things may change when you lease expect them too."

Ranma nodded slowly, though half heartedly. "Maybe Akane...maybe not."

…

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Nodoka hummed softly as she walked through the streets with her hands folded within the folds of her kimono and her katana wrapped in cloth tucked against her chest. It was another beautiful day with the sky a sparkling blue gem and the sun blazing brightly; there was a chill in the air though and clouds, dark and ominous gathered on the horizon far away, but come night fall they would probably shroud the entire city and bring more snow or rain, wind and cold.

A couple of days had passed since Ranma had had her fight with Akane and she was pleased the two of them had made amends straight away. Not only had they patched things up but Ranma had even gone to Ukyo and Shampoo and made amends with them as well. It had left the red head emotionally exhausted, but there was a noticeable change within her, like a great burden was being lifted from her shoulders. There was still the situation with Ryoga for her to deal with however, but Ranma was smart enough to know that she wasn't ready just yet to talk to him.

That's why Nodoka planned to see him first.

Now she had no intention of interfering with things between the two of them again, she merely felt a need to check in on the young man before he and Ranma had another face to face. With the exception of Akane she knew most people - such as Ukyo and Shampoo - were siding with Ranma, like she was the only one having a hard time through all of this. But, like Akane, Nodoka knew Ryoga deserved some compassion and consideration as well. She knew he wasn't the insensitive monster she feared some were making him out to be and that this had to be just as hard on him as it was Ranma.

She just thought it was unfair really; he was such a nice young man.

When she reached the teenager's vacant lot/campsite she wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting. Ryoga lone dome tent was in the middle of the barren lot, looking lonely and out of place. Staring at it, she suddenly realized that this was how Ranma had spent much of her life during her travels across the country and later China, sleeping wherever they could when they could. This was the life of martial artists like her daughter and husband and Ryoga.

At least she thought, Ranma had been with her father, but Ryoga had no one.

"Mrs. Saotome?"

Nodoka blinked and snapped out of her thoughts to find Ryoga stepping out of the tent and staring at her in surprise. Obviously she was the last person he expected to see there.

"Ryoga," she smiled. "Just the person I wanted to see."

Ryoga's eyes zeroed in on the katana in her arms and paled nervously. "This is about me kissing Ranma isn't it? It was just an accident I swear, she kissed me while I was still asleep and I didn't know what was happening. I promise I wasn't trying to take advantage of her or anything. It was all just a big misunderstand, please don't kill me!"

Nodoka was taken aback as she held her hands up for him to calm down. "I didn't come here to hurt you, I just want to talk that's all."

The look of relief that flooded the young man's face would have been comical had it not been for the look of genuine terror that had preceded it. Inwardly she realize she had to stop carry the katana with her whenever she left the house. It had caused far too many problems at one time or another.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Ryoga asked a short while later, after he dragged over a stack of wooden planks for her to sit on.

Nodoka offered a friendly smile. "I wanted to see how you were."

Ryoga was caught a little off guard.

"I'm fine," he replied hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well after what happened between you and Ranma the other day I wanted to make sure you didn't take anything she said to heart."

Ryoga smiled humourlessly. "I'm pretty sure she meant everything she said."

"I'm pretty sure she didn't," Nodoka assured him calmly. "Ranma was angry, tired and overwhelmed. What she said she said out of frustration and anger and she didn't really mean it. I'm sorry to say, but if you had backed down when she had asked you to, I'm sure things would have turned out differently."

The teenager sighed and shifted uncomfortably.

"I know," he poked at the small fire his rice cooking can dangled over. "I was just so desperate to apologize for running away like a coward. I didn't want things to blow out of proportion again like when she blamed me for what happened to her."

"I know dear," she replied sympathetically; she really did like this boy and didn't want to see him give up too eagerly. "And, Ranma knows that too. I know it might be hard to believe at the moment but she does and I hope that she'll be ready soon to come and see you and hear you out, so the two of you can work this out like adults. I know all this can't have been as easy on you either, which is why I wanted to come and see how you were doing."

"To be honest," he said. "I thought I would be doing Ranma a favour if I simply disappeared for a while, let things cool down."

Nodoka couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "You and Ranma are so much alike it's scary. I just had this same conversation with her a couple of days ago and I'll tell you what I told her. Running away from your problems will not solve anything. The only thing you'll accomplish is hurting both of you and, unless I've misjudged the situation I'm pretty sure the last thing you really want to do is cause her any hurt. Am I wrong?"

She didn't miss the slight colouring that rose in his cheeks and inwardly felt a twinge of satisfaction. Neither Ranma nor Ryoga may know how to deal with matters of the heart, but their feelings were as clear as day to everyone else. It was a shame that they were still dancing around each other like this. She was certain once they could talk properly, things would hopefully sort themselves out. Otherwise, kami help her, she was going to have to start interfering again.

"Of course I don't," he said finally, his soft tone edge with a hint of frustration. "But what am I to do when all I seem to do is cause her misery?"

"Now that's not true," she told him seriously. "I know there have been some rough patches as of late, but you've done just as much to help Ranma as well and I know she appreciates all that you've done for her, even if she doesn't come right out and say it. The problem is that neither of you are used to talking to one another, especially not in this kind of situation and its easy for you both to get muddled up and frustrated, and that causes the problems you've been having, and it doesn't help that you're both so hot headed. But, that doesn't negate all the good that's forged your friendship with each other though."

Ryoga flushed brightly with embarrassment, but he said nothing; he simply stared at the ground in silence. Nodoka could almost see the gears turning in his head as the skin and muscles around his eyes twitched and shifted in deep contemplative concentration, trying to process everything.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked suddenly in a wary tone. "I mean, given what _she_, used to be I didn't expect you to be encouraging this."

Nodoka smiled softly.

"I don't care what Ranma used to be," she explained calmly. "It doesn't matter what she was. All I care about is that she's happy, and so long as that doesn't involve her getting herself killed or severely injuring herself, I will always encourage her to pursue happiness with all her heart. That's all I want for her, to be happy."

"Well, that doesn't really involve me then," he replied quietly.

Nodoka continued to smile with growing amusement; she had almost forgotten how utterly transparent teenagers could be when they lied to themselves. It was cute.

"As, I think thou dost protest too much Mr. Hibiki," she chuckled slightly at the alarmed expression in his eyes and the string of protests about to leave his lips. "You don't have to admit it to me dear, I can see it as clear as day in your eyes. You can keep on pretending to yourself if you want, but I know."

Ryoga suddenly didn't know where to look, giving him the look of a frighten mouse trapped in a maze with nowhere to run. So he did the only thing he could think of and busied himself with removing his rice cooking can from above the fire, nearly burning his fingers in his haste to divert his attention. Nodoka found it all amusingly adorable.

While he saw to his lunch, Nodoka found herself glancing around the camp, or the lack of it. She couldn't prevent the frown that started tugging at her features, thinking how lonely it must be, living like this. Not to mention it couldn't be healthy either, being by yourself all the time and relatively exposed to the elements. She really couldn't imagine that the tent and a simple sleeping bag always offered the best protection against the cold, especially during the middle of winter.

"Ryoga, do you like living this way?" she asked suddenly.

Ryoga looked up in confusion, caught by surprise by the sudden question. "Um, what do you mean?"

She gestured at the camp. "Living here, in this vacant lot in a little tent. I can't imagine that its very comfortable all the time."

The young man shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "I don't really think about it much to be honest. It's not like I have much choice anyway."

"Well what if you did have another choice?" she asked in all seriousness, much to his confusion. "I know it isn't much of a step up from this, but if you want you are more than welcome to sleep in our training hall. As I said, it isn't much of a step from this, but at least its inside, out of the winter cold and you're more than welcome to a proper meal if you want it."

Ryoga gaped in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" he asked, quite possibly he thought she had gone insane judging from his tone. "I don't think that's a good idea. Not with everything going on at the moment between Ranma and me."

"I'm not suggesting you come over straight away," she assured him. "You can wait until the two of you have talked and hopefully patched things up, but that being said, it's not like I'm inviting you to stay inside the house. I know it might be a little strange at first, but I'm extending this invitation to you and Ranma will have to learn to deal with it if she has a problem because it's still my house. Besides, you have done so much for my family that it's only right that I do something for you in return."

"I'm not sure," Ryoga replied hesitantly.

"It's up to you of course," Nodoka nodded with a sigh. "But my offer stands. You are welcome at anytime to make use of the training hall, even more so now that we're in the middle of winter and it's only going to get colder. Trust me, Ranma might not be happy about it at first, but she'll accept it regardless."

The teenager didn't respond straight away, the offer was obviously tempting but it was being offered at the wrong time. Even still it was hard to ignore it given how cold the nights had been lately and living out of a tent and eating mostly only boiled rice had to be taking its toll. She hoped he didn't dismiss the offer completely just because of the situation between himself and Ranma.

"I'll think about it," he said finally.

Realizing that was probably the best she would get from him, Nodoka smiled kindly as she rose from her seat. "That's all I ask. Just don't suffer this weather if you don't have to. There's no glory in making yourself sick when you can easily avoid it."

With that she bid him goodbye and left…

… leaving the teenager with a lot to think about.

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The dojo, closed up to seal out the damp chill was silent as Ranma moved slowly and methodically through set after set of kata, stretching her small frame to its limit as she shifted with all the grace and fluidity her years of experience and training afforded her. It had been a long time since she had simply slowed down to appreciate all the movements that went into her attacks. She was normally too busy trying to become faster and faster, to gain as much speed as possible. Going slow like this, was stretching and exercising muscles that she hadn't used in a long time, if at all in her female body.

It was strangely invigorating.

She felt all the emotional exhaustion of the past few days fall away. Her talk with Akane, and then Ukyo and Shampoo in days that followed had been so draining, even if the later two were eager to apologize. She was still convinced that talking about your feelings and pouring out your heart was the most exhausting thing she had ever been forced to do. It was so much easier when you could settle things with your fists and feet. She couldn't argue with the results though; despite feeling so drained, she hadn't felt this good in a long time.

There was still the whole Ryoga thing to deal with that weighed heavily upon her but she wasn't ready yet. It would be so easy to go and talk to him, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it wouldn't end well; between his ability to stick his foot in his mouth at the wrong possible moment and her quick to spark anger was just a recipe for disaster at the moment. She wasn't even sure what she was going to say to him when she finally worked up the nerve to go and see him.

If she should even go and see him.

Knock, knock...

Ranma paused abruptly in mid motion, and turned at the sound of knocking at the doors, cocking a brow as she wondered who it might be. She grabbed the towel and mopped the sweat from her forehead as she walked over to the doors. Her hands wrapped around the handle as the knocking came, more persistent this time, and she pulled them open with a flash of irritation.

"Wha-" Ranma's words caught in her throat and her eyes, widened in shock at the person standing before her. "…Akari."

"Hi, Ranma," the other girl smiled, but the red head noted even in her state of bewildered shock, that the girl's typical warm and happy smile seemed so much duller than she remembered.

It felt like years since she had seen the pig trainer, not weeks since she had tried to kill her under the influence of Yukino's mind control. Guilt still plagued her over that incident, even if it hadn't really been her fault in the first place. The last thing she expected was for her to show up out of the blue like this.

"Does she know what happened between me and Ryoga?"

Ranma felt her heart stop in horror. How could she explain her actions?

"Um...w-what are doing here?" she asked hesitantly, not entirely sure she really wanted to know.

Akari was silent for what felt like the longest time, before replying. "I think there's some things we really need to talk about."

Ranma had the unmistakeable feeling that more and more nails were being hammered into her coffin as the girl spoke, filling her with nervous and uncertain dread.

"Perhaps we should go inside where it's warmer and talk?" the girl suggested.

Ranma nodded slowly. "Um, o-ok."

The walk from the training hall to the house seem to take an eternity with every possible conversation playing out in her head; her feet felt like they were made of lead, weighing down her every step she took. When she went to pull open the back door, her hand was shaking so bad she had to stop and take a deep breath to steady her nerves, all the while repeating over and over again inside her head, its fine, there's nothing to worry about, you've done nothing wrong.

"Ah, would you like something to drink?" she asked as the walked into the house.

Akari nodded slightly. "Just water please."

When Ranma returned from the kitchen, Akari was seated on the floor at the table with her knees tucked beneath her and her hands folded in her lap. Being a horrendous gambler, Ranma could see that the other girl had an incredible poker face; try as she might she couldn't read anything off her except a slight air of anxiousness.

"Thank you," Akari smiled gratefully.

Ranma sat opposite her, ready to bite the bullet. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Akari stared down at her glass of water in silence for a long time, but her gaze was a million miles away, deep in thoughts that raced through her. Ranma almost thought the girl hadn't heard her when she finally said.

"I'm here about Ryoga."

Ranma choked on her mouthful of drink, coughing and spluttering on water that dribbled down her chin. This continued for several long seconds as Akari waited patiently and Ranma inwardly scolded herself, before she managed to regain control of herself.

After taking another swig of water she said. "What would we need to talk about him for?"

The red head winced; her voice was at least a level or two higher than normal.

"Akane sent me a letter about what's been happening here," Akari replied calmly. "About your feelings for Ryoga."

Ranma paled immediately, her eyes widening in horror as panic gripped her, inwardly screaming and cursing her ex-fiancée. She started to spill her guts rapidly. "I swear, nothing happened between us, well I did kiss him but I was delusional at the time, I didn't know who I was or who he was and then I forgot about it for a few months and al-"

"Ranma please," Akari held up her hand to silence her, but couldn't help smiling in amusement. "I didn't come here to accuse you of anything. I came here because there's some things you need to know."

Her heart still pounding, curiosity got the better of her. "What things?"

Akari sighed slightly.

"Well, for starters, Ryoga and I broke up a few weeks ago," she explained calmly.

Ranma felt like everything around her suddenly came to an abrupt stopped, all the sound being sucked away in an instant as those words caused her heart to skip a beat.

She wet her suddenly dry mouth. "What?"

"We broke up," Akari repeated calmly, though the twinge of sadness the flitted across her eyes didn't escape Ranma's attention. "I should explain what happened."

And so she did. Ranma sat listening in shock as Akari detailed the change she had noted in Ryoga upon his return to the training farm and the trying adventure to rescue her pigs from the hired poachers. She described Ryoga's heroic actions with a mixture of awe and amazement, and had she not known him already Ranma would have thought the person the girl was describing was some sort of legendary hero from some sort of fairy tail; Ryoga had certainly left an impression upon the girl.

When Akari got to the incident that had happened on the dangling truck though, and what Ryoga had said in the heat of the moment, Ranma felt her face grow hot and turn the shade of scarlet as her breath caught in her throat and she stared at Akari in a mixture of disbelief and guilt.

"I'm so sorry Akari," she managed finally, after the girl had finished her story. "I never wanted to drive a wedge between the two of you and I certainly didn't want the two of you to break up."

"Its ok," Akari smiled sweetly. "I don't blame you for what happened. I honestly believe now that it was only a matter of time before something did drive us apart. I'm not even sure either of us was really in love with the other, we just fell victim to an illusion we both created for ourselves. I think it was better that it happened now than later on down the road when we might have really regretted it."

"Even still, I've caused you so many problems and I never got the chance to apologize properly," Ranma explained seriously. "So, I'm sorry Akari, I really am."

Akari waved her hand dismissively. "You have nothing to apologize for Ranma. I know you well enough to know that you would never do those things willingly, and as Ryoga explained it, you were as much the victim as I was."

Ranma sighed. "I wish I could say things have been great since, but really it just feels like every day things just become more and more confusing."

"That's why Akane suggested I should come and talk to you myself," the other girl explained. "She found out from Ryoga about us, and but she figured you should learn about this from me. She said you've been driving yourself silly with stress."

Ranma felt her blush deepen.

Akari smiled slightly. "It's funny really. When we all first met, I nearly gave up on Ryoga because I thought you two were a couple back then. Maybe it was the universe trying to tell us something."

"Yeah, don't buy suspect incense from crazy old Chinese ladies," Ranma said, trying to play off the comment that made her face redden even more. "They're nothing but trouble…"

Soon after Akari rose from the table and stretched. "Well, I really should be going."

Ranma rose and showed her to the front door. "Thank you for coming Akari...I really appreciate it, I do...and again I'm so sorry for all the trouble you've been through because of me."

"And as I said, there's nothing to be sorry for," the other girl replied reassuringly as she started down the path to the front gate where her giant pig waited. She paused half way there before turning back to her. "Ranma, don't be afraid of your feelings for Ryoga. Trying to push them aside is only going to cause more pain. Embrace them."

Ranma didn't know what to say as she stared back at the girl, thinking about how disastrous her attempts to deal with these feelings had been.

All she could say was. "I'll try."

With a brief nod and a wave, Akari mounted the giant pig at the gate and the two of the disappeared down the street at steady trot. Ranma watched until she could no longer see the girl before she went back inside and calmly closed the door behind her. Without warning she slid down the door til she was sitting on her butt and staring in shock.

Then a giddy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"He said my name!"

_**To Be Continued…**_

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**A/N: **

**Well I hope the chapter was worth the wait, I know I had fun writing it when I wasn't laid up in bed sick _ **

**I hope Ranma didn't come across as overly emotional in this. I know it's out of character for her to cry, but hey, EVERYONE has their breaking point and Ranma's emotions are all over the place at this point.**

**Anyway, I wanna get started on ch24 so I hope yahs stick around for more **


	25. Chapter 24: Nexus

**A/N: Wow, two chapters in a week of each other.**

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Chapter 24

_Nexus_

Sure enough the weather had turned with all the viciousness of nature. The temperature had plummeted dramatically and the previously clear bright skies were now packed with thick ominous black clouds that blotted out much of the day, leaving the city lit by a dull greyness. The wind had continued to pick up and howled like a wailing banshee, threatening to sweep the city clean as the snow returned in thick blankets of freezing white. It felt as though winter was trying to make up for the days it had lost to the sun, determined to gets own back for being shoved aside.

Ryoga shivered inside his tent, warming his hands on the plastic mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate. Inwardly he frowned though; as much as enjoyed the satisfying warmth that spread through his hands as he held the mug and through his belly with each tentative sip he took, he knew that this was the last of his supply.

It wasn't nearly as cold as when the entire city had been blanketed in snow and ice by the snow monster, but it was pretty close, or at least it seemed so.

He wrapped a blanket around his body and sat hunched over inside the tent, staring at the zipped up door as the entire thing shook and rattled under the assault of the wind. He didn't like being trapped like this, left with only his thoughts to preoccupy his mind. Sure he could have ventured outside, but it was starting to get dark and he didn't want to risk becoming lost in this weather. So, he simply chose to sit and wait.

Inevitably, his thoughts turned to the last thing wanted to think about.

Ranma.

It had been a little over a week since his last run in with the fiery red head, and be given precious little relief from the constant string of thoughts, images and feelings than plagued his mind and haunt his dreams. The moment he closed his eyes, she was there.

The last few months had been hard, one thing after another that had reshaped so many of them into different people, but no one more so than himself and Ranma he thought. So much had changed and even more it felt like, was still changing and he had no idea where it was going to stop, or if he even wanted it to.

The situation between himself and Ranma - as everyone kept calling it - was by far the most confusing of things that had changed; and, there was no doubt that things had changed between them. Things between them had evolved beyond simply being friends or even friendly rivals. in that single moment when she had kissed him in her fevered state, things had started to change and he no longer saw her as who she was, but rather who she had become.

There was no question that she was attractive, it was a given fact and he couldn't deny that he was attracted to her physically. It didn't matter that only a few months earlier Ranma had still been a guy, his rival and sometimes on the rare occasion, his brother almost. For all their bickering, arguing and attempts to sabotage each other, there was always the unspoken promise that they could count each other when it really mattered. The second she had kissed him though, even if she had been in a fevered delusional state, it knocked over the very first domino in a long sequence of dominos that were still continuing to fall.

Yes, he was attracted to her, what fool wouldn't be? She was beautiful. But, it was more than a simple attraction that had his mind running in circles.

He was comfortable around her.

He knew he never had to hid who he was from her and she practically knew everything about him.

For so long he had fooled himself into believing that he could have a relationship with Akane, but the moment P-chan had come into the picture that dream had been made impossible. He knew now though there was no future with her, there never had been really. He was little more than a big brother to her, a good friend and nothing more and somewhere along the line, she had become the same; a friend and nothing more. He had even accepted that she was meant to be with Ranma after seeing how desperately the martial artist had fought to save her in the battle with Saffron and his bird brain minions.

But even that had changed now.

Then there had been Akari, and even though he had still had a crush on Akane he let himself believe that Akari really was the one. Beautiful, sweet and full of compassion, and she didn't care that he was a freak of nature. It had seemed like the perfect match up, and for the first time in a very long time he didn't feel so alone anymore.. But, of course it had been that simple. As much as he cared for the quirky pig tamer, he was never entirely sure of her feelings for him. He always found himself asking the same question; if it hadn't been for the conditions her grandfather had made they probably wouldn't have even given each other a second glance on the street. And then there was his curse.

Aside from wondering if she loved him for him and not because he had defeated her giant pig, there was always the nagging thought that she was only really interested in him because of his ability to turn into a pig.

Akari had been right to break things up between them, he knew that now. They simply weren't meant to be.

Deep down inside he knew he would never have the problems he'd had with Akane and Akari, with Ranma. She didn't care about his one way or another, and he never had to feel ashamed or uncomfortable about it, let alone hide it.

Even still, that being said, he had to question his own feelings. Were his feelings for Ranma because of her or were they because she seemed like the most sensible choice? After all, had she never been trapped as a girl, he was fairly sure he wouldn't give her a second thought. There had even been times in the past, when her mirror clone had kissed him and Ranma, under the influences of the magic fishing rod her left her infatuated with him that he had recoiled in disgust from being intimate with her.

So what had changed?

Him?

Or her?

The teenager sighed heavily. Why did it all have to be so complicated? Or was he making it more complicated than it needed to be? She liked him, she had admitted it and though he was still having trouble admitting it himself, he liked her too. She was funny and wild and there was no stopping her once her mind was made up. So why couldn't that be enough to set his mind at ease that this was the right thing? Maybe he was just over thinking things, worrying about stuff that didn't matter.

After all, she had feelings for him and he was starting to develop strong feelings for her. What else mattered?

It had been easy to run away from these feelings, believing there was nothing to them. But, they hadn't gone away like he thought they would. She was always on his mind and in his dreams. With every passing day he felt a growing need to be around her, missing her smile. He wanted to be there for her, to protect her if she needed it, which was stupid because the last thing she needed was some assuming she needed looking after.

Hell, she'd probably deck him for just thinking it.

Even still it didn't change anything. He still wanted to be around her. He wanted everything to be ok between them.

He sighed and took a longer sip of his drink than he meant to, and instantly regretted it. Now the cup was mostly empty and the warmth was receding fast from the plastic cup. It was going to be a long night at this rate.

A flush crept into his cheeks as thought back to that night in the forest when she had kissed him, remembering the warmth of her lips and her body, clad only in his shirt pressed against his bare chest. Maybe she had realized what she was doing and he was simply too slow and shocked to react, but that been one hell of a kiss. Granted he didn't have much to compare it against, but regardless he doubted he would ever simply forget that it had happened.

He toyed with his cup, turning it slowly in his hands as he stared at the thick dark liquid and listened to the mournful howls of the wind outside. Inwardly he found himself how long he had been trying to fool himself into believing his feelings were nothing? The kiss in the forest had certainly started everything for sure, but after that, had he simply been using his guilt at what happened in the cavern as a convenient smoke screen to hide his concern for her, behind?

He had felt so confused for the longest time, and disconnected from everything after getting her back to Nerima. He should've left then as soon as he delivered her to the Tendo's, should've gone straight to Akari's, but something made him stay; he needed to know that she was fine and swore he would go after she woke up. But, then she woke up and he still couldn't bring himself to leave. He couldn't understand it at the time, except that he though he needed to stick around and face whatever punishment he deserved, but now, now he understood.

He hadn't stuck around because he thought he deserved to be punished. He had stuck around because he couldn't stand the thought of leaving her. It was only after the Yukino thing that he thought he had over stayed his welcome and needed to give her some space, but even then, leaving her standing there in the street looking up at the stars all alone had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. It was that he started to suspect what he was really feeling.

The entire time he was at Akari's, try as he might to be excited about being there, he just couldn't. The truth was, he had missed Ranma. The incident on the cliff, calling Akari, Ranma had only confirmed it really, but even then he ran away from his feelings, convincing himself that it all just his imagination and not only that, but stupid and pointless too.

Then, his first day back in Nerima, he ran into Ranma, literally. He had thought straight away that she looked absolutely beautiful and glowing in her new outfit, if not a little panicked and embarrassed.

Now he knew why.

It hadn't been until their last confrontation, when she had told him to leave her alone that he finally understood what his feelings for her were, or at least started to. Talking with Akane and Ranma's mother had really helped to bring things into perspective for him. But there wasn't anything he could do about it now; she didn't want to see him, and despite Mrs. Saotome's reassurances, he was starting to think she never would.

Maybe he really had screwed things up too badly this time.

With a heavy sigh he downed the last of the hot chocolate and screwed the mug/cap back on to the top of the thermos and shoved it in his pack, before wrapping the blanket tighter around his himself. The chill of the coming night was getting worse, saturating everything, and he found himself wondering how he was going to make dinner. He couldn't cook any rice and the single packet of instant ramen he had was useless without boiling water to make it with.

Already his stomach was staring to growl.

He sat there for the longest time thinking, watching as the dull grey remnants of day gave away to the cold darkness of night, leaving him with only his battery powered lamp to light the interior of the tent.

Without warning some struck the outside of the tent, making him jump. Seconds later, the unmistakeable sound of material ripping apart filled his ears, and before he could react, the wind was suddenly barrelling through an rapidly expanding tear in the side of the tent. Cursing and fighting to untangle himself from the blanket whipping at his face, Ryoga could only watch as the hole tore right open, a large piece tent flapping wildly in the wind.

"Oh come on!" Ryoga shouted uselessly as he grabbed the blanket, sleeping bag and his travel pack and hauled himself out through the tear, stepping into the cold night with freezing snow and wind battering him.

Unfortunately the moment he stepped out of the ruined tent, all the weight that had been holding it down was suddenly gone and with nothing to stop it, the wind yanked the pegs out of the ground and filled the interior, picking it up and throwing it into the air like a child's plaything, where it disappeared across several houses. Ryoga was left standing there, gaping in disbelief, before he started to curse like a sailor.

What was he to do now?

There's always Mrs. Saotome's offer, he thought idly.

He frowned though, not sure if it was really the best idea.

As much as he wanted to talk to Ranma, or at the very least see her, he was worried that his presence would only piss her off, especially if she wasn't ready to see him. After all she hadn't come to see him like her mother implied was going to happen, so she obviously wasn't ready to see him yet, much less have him sleeping in her training hall.

Maybe he had to take matters into his own hands though. He had to face her eventually and besides Mrs. Saotome had said he was welcome any time and not to suffer the cold if he didn't need to. Maybe this was fate's way of telling him what needed to be done.

Another gust of wind barrelled into the young man, trying to wreath the thin blanket from his arms, as his stomach growled persistently.

It was just for one night he resolved with a cold shudder.

It was either that or freeze.

It wasn't a hard choice.

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When Ryoga found his way to the Saotome house without any trouble, he was even more certain than ever that this was fates way of telling him that he had made the right choice. However when he walked up to the front door, all of his courage and steadfast resolve melted away to a stomach knotting anxious that froze him where he stood. What if she wasn't ready to see him? What if she was still mad at him and attacked him the second she laid eyes on him? What if she had simply washed her hands of him for good? He shook his head, this was a huge mistake, a very big mistake; she was going to try and rip him apart, he knew it.

"Snap out of it Hibiki!" he snapped at himself.

This wasn't just about a place to stay for the night.

With a deep steadying breath, he pushed the door bell.

As soon as he did, it was as if time had stopped and stretched into eternity. There was nothing he could do, nowhere he could run; in that instance he was a deer trapped by the head lights of an oncoming car. He could only stand there and wait for time to catch up with again. Every scenario played itself out in his head, from the fiery red head throwing open the door and screeching at him, to opening the door and leaping into his arm, however unlikely it may be; but, then again it wouldn't be the strangest thing to have happened in the last few months.

When it seemed that no one was coming, he tried the door bell one more time.

Barely a second later, the door opened.

It was Ranma.

Ryoga felt his voice catch in his suddenly dry throat as they stared at each other in silence and surprise with no idea what to say. It was only a small consolation that she was having the same problem; or she was about to claw his eyes out. Even still, as he stared at her, unsure about what she was going to do, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked.

"Ryoga, w-what are you doing here?" she managed finally with an ever so slight frown.

He couldn't tell if she was angry or just surprised, but he could easily see that something was different about her since the last time he had seen her, he just couldn't place his finger on what it was, but there was definitely something different about her. Something in her eyes.

He shook his head to regain his focus.

"Um, my tent," he said with a hint of embarrassment. "It blew away."

She stared at him incredulously. "Your tent, blew away?"

"Yes," his shoulders slumped, knowing how weak that must of sounded.

"And you're here because?" she looked somewhat confused.

"Listen, I know I'm probably the last person you probably want to see right now," he decided to cut straight to the chase. "And, the last thing I want to do is cause you any more problems. I'm here because your mother said it was fine."

"What?" Ranma demanded, before her frown suddenly deepened. "When did you see my mother?"

Ryoga winced and scratched the side of his head nervously. "I'm sorry, I just assumed she would have told you. She came and saw me a few days ago to discuss things, and then told me that if I wanted or needed to, I could sleep in the training hall."

"She what!" Ranma exclaimed in disbelief. "Why that, manipulative-"

"Its ok," he said quickly before things blew out of control. "I told her this probably wouldn't be a good idea. I'll go, I don't want to cause any fights between you two. I'll just find somewhere else to stay tonight. Sorry to bother you."

He cursed himself as he quickly turned away from her and hurried back to the front gate. He knew this was a mistake; he was stupid to think Ranma would be fine with this. Of course she wouldn't want him hanging around after all the trouble he had put her through already. He should have just gone to the Tendo's instead.

"Wait!"

Ryoga's hand froze on the gate latch. Slowly he turned to see Ranma had ventured just outside the front door. The silence that followed was like a blanket that wrapped around them and blacked out everything else; even the wind seemed to disappear. Then, as if becoming aware of herself, Ranma averted her eyes slightly.

"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked quickly.

As if on cue, Ryoga's gut growled and rumbled, loudly.

For a fraction of a second, he could have swore she smiled coyly; but, the he blinked and it was gone.

"Why don't you come in and have something to eat then?" she suggested.

Ryoga could only stand there and gape in surprise at the offer, wonder briefly if he was imagining things, if maybe he had stepped into another world. He was rooted in place, until she motioned him inside with a quick gesture of her head. He took a hesitant step forward, half expecting her to suddenly turn on him; but how could he possibly refuse?

He followed her inside, suddenly feeling very much like he was being led into the lions den.

"You're actually just in time," she said as he slipped his shoes off at the door. "I just finished cooking dinner."

When they went into the living room, it was empty with only a single bowl of food amongst a pile of homework and notebooks.

"Where are your parents?" he asked curiously.

"Mom dragged pops to some neighbourhood council meeting or something, so I got the house to myself for a few hours," she explained as she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving standing at the table feeling a little awkward in the knowledge that they were alone together.

The rumours this could start if any one knew...

A few seconds later she returned with a bowl.

She grinned as she handed it to him. "I hope you like sweet and sour pork."

Ryoga hesitated only slightly when he took the bowl from her and stared at its contents, the back at her as if she were joking. Truth was he didn't have a problem with it, but, having come dangerously close to becoming it himself it did tend to give him pause.

"This is fine," he nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

They sat opposite one another in silence, not really knowing what to say or do as they sat there awkwardly. Though, Ryoga marvelled as he took a popped a bite size piece of pork into his mouth. It was only sweet and sour pork, but as soon as it hit his tongue, his taste buds exploded with flavour. Maybe it was because he'd only had boiled rice for nearly every meal since leaving Akari's, or maybe it was because he was so hungry, but he could have swore it was the most delicious thing he had ever had. It was so good.

Though she had only cooked for him under the influence of the magic fishing rod, he had honestly forgotten just hot good a cook Ranma really was.

"Is something wrong?"

Ryoga blinked and found Ranma staring at him and realized he had spaced out staring down at the meal.

"No, nothing's wrong," Ryoga replied quickly to head off any misunderstanding. "I was just thinking that you cooking is amazing. It's on par with Kasumi's. It's great."

Ranma's cheeks turned pink and she shifted awkwardly, obviously not knowing how to take the compliment, though quick, short smiles tugged at the corner's of her mouth as she looked down abruptly.

"I don't know about that," she bashfully. "Only person I know whose cooking is better than Kasumi's is moms."

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Ryoga asked.

Ranma shrugged. "When I was a kid I used to complain about eating boiled rice all the time, since it just wasn't satisfying. So eventually as I got a little older I figured out that if I wanted to eat something different occasionally, I would have to learn how to cook it myself, so I did. Since it didn't really fit with the image of who my Pops wanted me to be it was really something that I bragged about. Now though, I suppose I really don't care and I feel kind of stupid for being ashamed of it back then too, to be honest. After all there's plenty of male chefs around."

As he listened to her, Ryoga found himself inexplicably imagining Ranma a little older and more mature; she was nearly the spitting image of her mother. Suddenly, it was very easy to understand where Genma had gotten his considerably large girth from. If Ranma's cooking was this good, he could only imagine how good her mother's was.

"Well, I think you're an amazing cook," he said in a way that left no room for argument.

The wind howled outside as they sat there and ate in silence, not noticing each other stealing nervous glances at the other. The quiet was awkward, though not uncomfortable, Ryoga just didn't know what to say; for all his need to see her, to talk to her and make things right; he just could not for the life of him think of anything to say.

"I'm sorry," they both said in unison, bring each other to an abrupt silence again, staring at each other in surprise.

Then they started to laugh.

After everything that happened, after the last few weeks, it felt good to laugh. It felt, purifying in its own right and eased the tension.

When he finally recovered, he said. "I'm sorry, for running away like I did. I honestly didn't mean to react the way I did. I was so confused and my head was all over the place. I know that's no excuse, and I don't mean it to be. I'm sorry though, for being such a damn coward, and I certainly didn't mean to make matters worse when we last talked."

She stared at him for a long time, her eyes searching his, her expression unreadable. Inwardly Ryoga felt a surge of relief to get that off his chest, but now he held his breath waiting to see what her reply would be.

Then she smiled and shook her head. "It wasn't your fault Ryoga. None of it was. I sprang that news on you without warning and I don't know, I guess part of me expected you to be ok with it, and then that god damn cat showed up and messed up everything. I overreacted though, and I shouldn't have, but I was only thinking of myself. It didn't even occur to me that you would have a hard time with it too. I was arrogant and self absorbed, like my pain was the only thing that mattered. But, that being said I just want to forget the whole mess even happened and start fresh. Dwelling on the past isn't going to change anything, so I've decided to look to the future instead. No more worrying about what was or what should've been. There's only forward now, one step at a time."

Ryoga stared at her in surprise, taken aback by her iron solid resolve in her tone. Again he noted that change in her, more noticeable than before. She was right though, dwelling on the past, on what was already done wasn't going to help anyone, much less them.

But there was still a question that begged asking.

"Do you still... you know..." he looked at her hesitantly. "Have, feelings for me?"

Ranma's face was suddenly crimson, as she looked down at the table, too late to hide her reaction.

"Yes, I do," she admitted softly. "And I honestly don't think that's going to change anytime soon, either."

Her honesty and openness surprised the young man; here he was having trouble even stringing a sentence together, and she was being more honest and opened than he had ever known her to be. But, he supposed she had been dealing with this longer than he had, and had more wisdom on the subject.

"But," Ranma suddenly continued. "Even though I do still have those feelings and I know they're not going to away. I've come to realize that at this point, I shouldn't act on them."

Ryoga bulked at that, alarm surging up through his spine.

"Why?" he demanded, with a bit more surprise than he meant to.

Ranma's shoulders slumped a little. "So much has happened recently that I just don't know what to think. Everything has just been moving so fast. For crying out loud a few months ago I would have been disgusted by any of this, with myself for even entertaining these thoughts. I used to have nightmares about this happening. A few months ago I would have shove these feelings down so deep they would never have seen the light of day again. Then the Jewel incident happened, and then the Preservation Society and Yukino kidnapped and brainwashed me. I tried to kill Akari, for you and then all this recent stuff happened. I should be insane with everything's that's messed with my head in the last few months alone. My whole life has been turned upside down, and not just mind either," she looked directly at him as she said the last bit, sending a strangle jolt through his heart. Then she continued. "I need to step back from all of it, and make sure all this is real. I need to be me again; or as close as I can be without becoming that egotistical jerk again."

She sighed heavily.

"I just want to get my head back on straight again, while I still can before I give into the crazy me again," she explained quietly.

Ryoga nodded slightly, he could understand that; that was one of the reason's he had left Nerima for Akari's in the first place. He wasn't sure how to respond though, thinking in the back of his head that they might possibly have the worse timing out of everyone else in the world; here he was about to reveal his own feelings and now she wasn't ready to hear it...

Fate was a cruel and sadistic bitch.

"Don't get me wrong though," she added, with a smile. "I hope in the near future, all that will change. But for right now I'm content for us to be just friends and enjoy the present."

Ryoga could only stare at her at his brain tried to process and comprehend everything she said. There was no doubt that she knew what she wanted, and had probably spent several days thinking about it, considering everything had happened, and he couldn't fault her reasoning. Maybe things were moving too fast. He was certain that the feelings he felt starting to blossom in his heart for her were real enough, but he had learnt that, some times, just because it felt right didn't mean it was always a good idea to act upon it; perhaps this was one of those times, for a little bit at least.

He certainly didn't want her to think one day that he had taken advantage of her when she was vulnerable or what not. No, in this situation, perhaps it was best to proceed with caution and support. If she wanted to focus on making sure her head was on straight and everything then that was fine.

He could wait.

"I understand," he replied eventually with a reassuring smile. "You'll land on your feet, you always do."

Ranma grinned at this compliment.

The two of sat and enjoyed their meal and each others company as the night progressed. It finally felt like a light was appearing at the end of the dark tunnel they had been travelling for so long.

The only question was…

… what would be waiting for them?

_**To be Continued**_

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_**A/N:**_

**I always knew this wasn't going to be an overly long chapter, but I think it came across ok personally. I can't promise though that this speedy delivery of a new chapter means that I'm getting back into the swing things, but we'll see. **

**So this is the conclusion of one conflict, but it's far from the last. **

**The next chapter will be the start of the final arc of this series. The end is in sight after what will soon be three years since I started this adventure.**

**What lays in store for our two heroes? You'll just have to stick around to find out ^_~**


	26. Chapter 25: Forward!

**A/N:**

** Holy H Christ, another chapter two weeks after the last! _ **

** I actually finished the draft for both this chapter and chapter 26 last week, but my time was limited so I didn't get around to finishing typing it up until today and I had to rewrite a part or two so that slowed things down a bit as well. I'm hoping it wont take as long to type chapter 26 though so hopefully this time next week their might be a new one, or might hold it back for two weeks once its typed up, try and stretch them out a bit and give myself a chance to get some more drafts done in the mean time.**

** On another note, I had a brief chat OoCness within the story and I just feel the need to bring it up again.**

** I know I don't always portray the characters 100% the way they are in the manga or anime. I do try to keep them as true as possible though, but as most fanfic writers will know – with enough experience – that this isn't always possible if you want to tell your story the way **_**you**_** want to tell it. Sometimes OoCness isn't entirely a bad thing depending on how you present it as it sometimes allow an author to explore various characters in ways that the original creator of them didn't get the chance to or were limited in some way; again, depending on how its presented. **

** Anyway, now that's off my mind, I hope you enjoy the chapter ^_^**

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Chapter 25

_Forward_

_Towards an Uncertain Tomorrow_

"Why do you always do this?"

Akane screeched with frustration as her fist cleaved through the air, sweat flying from her brow as her eyes blazed with fury; but all she hit was empty air. Ranma sailed effortlessly out of the way as though it were a lazy afterthought. The dark haired girl shifted rapidly into a round house kick in anticipation that should have crumpled the red head, but as fast as she was, Ranma was even faster. The red head twisted and sprung off Akane's leg in mid air, and flipped gracefully backwards and landed softly on the ball of one foot, well out of Akane's reach.

"Do what?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"You know damn well what!" Akane fumed, her face red and breathing heavily from the exertion. "Every time! Every time I ask you to help me train you always so this. Why won't you attack me? Am I not worthy of fighting the great 'Ranma Saotome?'"

Ranma matched her step for step as they circled each other, but she projected an irritatingly relaxed aura; it infuriated Akane to no end.

"Well?" she demanded when the red head didn't answer.

Ranma sighed. "I don't wanna hurt you by accident Akane."

Akane stared at her in silent disbelief, before a fire of anger ignited inside her in a flash. The dark haired teenager leapt without warning at the red head, moving in close enough that she nearly took the girl by surprise. It wasn't fast enough though. Ranma side stepped and shifted with liquid grace around each attack, moving almost like it was all just a dance. Just when Akane thought she had her, the red head would slip away again just as quickly. It irritated her to no end that Ranma could read and avoid her attacks with such ease. She moved liked she was part of the air itself, her small frame and inhuman reflexes making her nigh impossible to touch when she was serious, even with Akane's skills.

"I don't need you to worry about my safety!" Akane snapped as Ranma led her around the dojo. "I'm just as dedicated to this life as you."

Suddenly Ranma's back was up against the wall and Akane moved in for the attack. Ranma merely tilted her head slightly and didn't even bat an eyelid as the girl's fist slid harmlessly past her and disappeared into the wall with a resounding crack of wood splitting. Her blue eyes just locked with Akane's.

"No," Ranma replied simply. "You're not"

"What!" Akane demanded in outrage.

Ranma held up her hand to head off the coming outburst. "Yes, you're a good martial artist and I know you'll fight till you drop to defend your father's dojo _but_, you don't train nearly enough. I've been training almost everyday since I took my first step. You though, you only put in a couple of hours a week and all you really do is stay fit and maintain that monstrous strength of yours, but you're not growing as a martial artist Akane. You have the potential, but you don't know how to use it. Why do you think you get kidnapped so often?"

She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "So you won't spar with me seriously because I'm lazy? Is that what you're saying?"

Ranma sighed again with a little exasperation. "No. I won't spar with you seriously because it wouldn't be fair."

"Well how am I supposed to get better then?" Akane demanded in frustration.

The young Saotome shrugged. "I don't have all the answers. Practice more instead of only when the mood strikes you. Running is a good way of staying in shape and breaking bricks will keep your strength up, but it's not really teaching you anything new is it? I'm not good because I spent hours breaking bricks and training dummies. I'm good because I had to keep adapting and learning new training methods to get faster and stronger. You would not believe some of the ridiculous things Pops made me endure. It wouldn't hurt either if you weren't so stiff when you fight."

Akane frowned, trying not to look dejected. "What do you mean stiff?"

"When you attack its more like you're doing kata exercises. Your attacks are too calculated which makes it easier to read what you're going to do and avoid them. You're too mechanical and text book with your attacks, you need to loosen up. I know you're just doing what your father taught you, and that's fine for teaching and fighting normal fighters, or hoards of stupid school boys, but you want to fight on my level so you have to alter your fighting style slightly."

"How am I suppose to do that?" she asked, professional curiosity getting the better of her. "I don't know any special attacks like you and Ryoga do. Even Ukyo and Shampoo have special techniques."

"And you honestly expect to you just learn that kind of stuff overnight? I only know so many different techniques because I've gone out of my way to learn them, and the others have spent just as much time doing that as well and then you have to perfect it." Ranma snickered slightly, causing Akane to frown. "Look, you already have everything you need to do. You just need to perfect how you use it. When you fight, you fight like a battle is a series of steps you're opponent is going to fall into for you, but its not and fighters like me and the others won't. There's a rhythm to fighting and when you fight you have to find that rhythm use it against your opponent. Your problem is that you think too much about an attack before you make it, when you're not lashing out in anger and it gives your opponent too much time to read it in your body language and counter attack. Your body already knows what you want it to do, you just have to learn to trust it to follow your instincts."

Akane gaped at her in shock; this was the most Ranma had ever spoken to her about martial arts let alone offered anything remotely helpful. She was fairly sure she would never be able to master Ranma's kempo, just as her father hadn't been able to, which was why the Saotome branch of the Anything Goes School was so much closers to Happosai's original school. The Tendo School had its advantages dealing with multiple attackers, and using raw strength and endurance, but it lacked the wide diversity of techniques and teaching methods that the Saotomes had developed. Ranma's advice though could be applied to her fighting style too.

"Why have you never tried to help me before?" she asked finally.

Ranma shrugged absently. "What was the point? You would have bit my head off and accused me of thinking you were stupid or something, and that would have only led to another argument. Besides, you never thought much about my opinion anyway."

Akane couldn't really fault that logic, but she was pretty sure Ranma was conveniently forgetting just why she had a problem with her opinion back then. Ranma's arrogance aside, it had been hard to even think about asking the self absorbed martial artist for help when all _he_ had ever done was criticize and make fun of her and her fighting ability. Not that she had been much better either though, but Ranma had a knack for striking the wrong nerve at the wrong time.

Ranma had definitely grown some.

"Will you help me now?" she decided it was best to avoid the blame game.

Ranma smiled cockily. "I don't know, I don't think you can handle a Saotome training routine."

Akane huffed and planted her hands on her hips indignantly. "I'm sure if you can handle it, it can't be all that hard Princess."

She stuck her tongue out victoriously as Ranma scowled.

"Don't call me that," she said sourly.

"What? You don't want to be called Princess?" Akane feigned ignorance as she grinned playfully, watching Ranma's eye tick. "But it suits you so well, Princess."

"Akane," Ranma grumbled warningly.

"Princess."

"Stop it!"

"Princess Ranma Saotome has a nice ring to it don't you think?"

"That's it!" Ranma leapt at her, but Akane was already for the door. "Come back here!"

In a matter of seconds the Tendo residence was filled with playful squeals and screams as the two girls stormed through and around the house, barely mindful of anyone else as they nearly bowled Kasumi over, and nearly crashed into their fathers game of shogi that Genma was winning as usual; even Nabiki was nearly ran over in the stampede. No one said anything though; it was just good to hear the two having fun for a change, instead of being at each other's throats, even more so after the recent months of one trial after another.

It seemed things were finally turning around.

Finally Ranma tackled Akane to the ground and before the dark haired girl could so much as blink, she was pinned to the ground and being tickled mercilessly, resulting in more screams and hysterical laughter as she pleaded desperately between breaths for her to have mercy.

"Ahh, it's so good to see two young women playing together so innocently."

Both girls froze in mid motion as their blood turned to ice and their faces twisted in horror. As one they looked up slowly to see the small figure sitting on the window ledge, grinning down at them with its nearly toothless mouth.

"Hello girls," Happosai chuckled. "I'm back!"

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It had been well over a week since she had seen Ryoga. The bad weather that had brought him to her door step had died off considerably the next morning and when she had gone to wake him for breakfast, Ryoga was gone along with his pack and the spare futon that had been laid out for him was folded neatly by the door. She knew it wasn't unusual; he had probably woken up and meant to go inside for breakfast and probably - some how - ended up heading towards Okinawa. But even a quick search of the surrounding streets hadn't found him, so she had to assume he had departed much earlier on purpose.

She had meant what she told him, about wanting to get her head back on straight before she pursued her feelings for him; Akari's visit had been the final piece to convince her to slow down and examine what was happening, or as much as she didn't want to. However if Akari and Ryoga had broke up because they were no longer sure of their feelings, then she was going to make damn sure her own were on the level before things went any further.

Maybe that was why Ryoga had chosen to disappear, to give her space.

The red head yawned as she laid on the Tendo roof and stared at the pink and purple splashed sky, resting her hands behind her head as she ignored the chill in the air.

For the next few days her father and her would be staying with the Tendos while her mother was away for a few days. Though they could have easily looked after themselves, her mother hadn't liked the idea of them being left by themselves; not because she was worried for their safety, but because she knew they wouldn't do a lick of work to clean up after themselves and her father would be more likely to let her slack off on going to school, than Kasumi or Akane would. So she more or less kicked them out and locked them out until she got back.

It wasn't so bad being back at the Tendo's though.

It was like a second home now.

There was almost a sense of normalcy developing and since sorting out and dealing with the issues of the last couple of weeks she had felt more free and comfortable than she had in ages. The whole thing with Ryoga was still there but it didn't feel like it was hanging over her anymore and would be dealt with when she was good and ready. Too almost feel normal though... She hadn't expected to feel that for a long time, much less now. Making amends with Ukyo and Shampoo had helped to set her at ease too. She honestly hadn't felt this good in a long time, happy and less stressed, and she had even rediscovered some of her old carefree cocky attitude. She even felt more comfortable discussing her feelings for Ryoga; to a degree.

She still had her limits.

Yes everything was going good for a change.

Or it had been, until P-chan had showed up out of the blue, looking more like a drowned miserable rat than a piglet. Akane had nearly exploded from joy when the little black pig had staggered into the living room and nearly collapsed on the spot. Ranma had been too surprised to say anything and by the time she had recovered, Akane was already pampering the little swine; that had been several days ago and she barely let him out of her sight, so Ranma couldn't risk trying to talk to him; she could only shoot him glares of irritating disapproval as he didn't even attempt to protest against being hand fed.

The rational part of her brain reminded her that he couldn't really do anything, for fear of his secret being discovered by the volatile Tendo. Even she could understand wanting to avoid that at all cost.

The less rational part of her brain however almost seemed to take pleasure in stoking her jealousy into a simmering fire as she continued to glare at him whenever she saw him being carried around and treated like a child.

It was almost funny though when she imagined Ryoga trying to give her a 'So? What do you want me to do about it' kind of look with only his pig face to work with.

Without warning hot water poured down on her. She screamed, more in surprise than anything else and leapt to her feet, nearly losing her footing as the roof tiles became slippery with water. She whirled around to snarl at the evil little imp standing there with a steaming kettle.

"What the hell was that for?" she shouted.

"So it is true," Happosai looked her up and down curiously. "You really are stuck like this."

She clenched her jaw tight; she had done well avoiding the old freak as much as possible in the last couple of days that he had been back, which hadn't been easy. He was steadily becoming worse than usual, and making life hell for all of them.

"Why would we make something like this up you stupid old goat?" she snapped in disbelief.

Happosai huffed. "I wanted to see for myself."

Ranma shook with the effort it took to control the fury boiling up inside her ready to explode. "Well you've seen for yourself now leave me alone you little old fool!"

"Ranma!" the old man barked, surprising the red head with the serious frown. "This is a very serious matter we need to discuss, please sit."

Any other time she would have told him to shove it, but there was a curious seriousness in his eyes that surprised her. Maybe he really did have something serious to discuss this time; she knew there had been times he'd put his childishness aside when he needed to. Perhaps this was one of those times.

"Fine," she relented as she knelt so she didn't get a crick in her neck looking down at him. "What is it."

For the longest time Happosai stared at her in deep thought, frowning in contemplation; then his hands shot out and grabbed her boobs and started squeezing, grinning from ear to ear.

"With spring just around the corner we should really discuss what bathing suits you're going to model for me!"

Ranma shook as all the rage rocketed to the surface, and exploded.

"DIE!" she screeched.

Her punch went straight through him and smashed a hole through the tiles as the after image disappeared; only for him to reappear behind her with a chuckle of delight, and fondled her ass.

Ranma screamed.

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"I've had it!" Ranma slammed her fist down on the table in frustration rattling plates and making their cups jump as if in fright. "I can't take it anymore. I can't take that little perverted old bastard anymore. He's a damn nightmare!"

"Ranma, calm down," Akane whispered uneasily.

"Why should I?" she demanded.

"Because people are staring!" Akane whispered more harshly.

Ranma blinked and looked around to find several of the Nekohanten customers glancing over at them with caution and curious expressions that made her ground her teeth in irritation. She gave them all withering glares that quickly turned their attention back to their meals quickly. She had little patience for gawkers right now.

"We have to get rid of him," Ranma hissed.

It had been several days since Happosai returned from places unknown and it had been a special kind of hell ever since. It had been bad enough when she could turn back into a guy, but now that he knew she was stuck this way he seemed to take even greater pleasure in singling her out with his constant obsession with groping girls. She'd barely had a moment's peace from the old goat and to make matters worse, if it was at all possible she was pretty sure the old freak had gotten stronger, and faster and dare she say it, more perverted. In the past she had at least been able to send him flying into the stratosphere...or at least when he let her, but now he disappeared like a damn ghost every time and things would only get worse.

"It's not like we haven't tried," Akane grumbled sourly as she fed a shrimp cracker to P-chan, who eagerly munched it down.

Ranma narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, making him flinch.

"Well if that old freak steals anymore of my damn underwear I'm gonna have to go shopping and you know how much I hate that! So he has to go," Ranma growled.

Try as she might to hide them from him, Happosai always managed to find them like some sort of freakin blood hound. Though he only took one or two items at a time it was starting to add up and she didn't want to have to subject herself to the hassle of buying more, which she expected was exactly the plan. He was probably planning on ambushing her in the change rooms.

Cologne returned to the table with their meals and joined them in the booth.

"You have to help us," Ranma was on the verge of begging. "He's driving us nuts."

"You are not the only one," the old woman muttered darkly, before sighing wearily. "He's been out of control, causing trouble all over the city. He's been cleaning out restaurants and vendors and he's not even bothering to send the bill to someone else. Its like he doesn't care anymore if people are hounding him and not someone else."

"He's a pest," Ranma snarled through a mouthful of food, earning a frown from both Akane and Cologne. "What?"

Moving on, Akane said. "If it's even possible, he's become even more selfish and demanding. He has our fathers running around like his personal slaves. He's running them ragged and he's even started groping Nabiki and Kasumi!"

"You should have let him die when he lost the will to live that time," Ranma grumbled darkly. "Would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"We couldn't let him die like that," Akane replied certainly.

She was too kind for her own good Ranma thought as she stared flatly at her. "Why not? He's four hundred years old, he's had his time."

"He does seem to have unnaturally high vitality," Cologne sighed.

Ranma looked at her desperately. "You must know some way of getting rid of him. You've been around almost as long as him, you must have picked up some sure way of dealing with him for good? What about the Moxibustion Point, couldn't you use that on him?"

Cologne gave her a hard long stare that that sent shivers of cold unease shooting through the red head's spine. She had always been wary of the old ghoul, knowing that she had reservoirs of knowledge that far exceeded any of her own; but until right then she had never been scared of her.

"I could," the old woman admitted seriously. "But then I would run the risk of him using it on me and as you know, I'm powerful but he's even more so. Dealing with Happosai is like preparing for a hurricane. You can lessen the destruction and death's it causes, but you can't prevent it. There will be destruction, but poorly made plans will only result in greater pains. Do you want to go against Happosai like that?"

"No," the red head admitted reluctantly. "What are we suppose to do then?"

Cologne smiled thinly. "You bide your time."

Ranma stared at her food gloomily; that was easy for her to say, she didn't have to live the old freak. It would have been a simple matter for her and her father to have gone home; they could easily break, though she doubted her father would be game enough to leave without being given permission by Happosai. That aside, leaving the Tendo's to deal with the old freak alone did not sit right with her. She couldn't abandon them, no matter how much he drove her nuts. And how would her mother react when she found out he was back? She had made it very clear, what she thought of the man and how he had changed her husband.

A more terrifying question suddenly popped into her head.

What if Happosai decided to invite himself to stay at their house?

"What's wrong?" Akane asked as she watched Ranma suddenly grab her stomach.

Ranma grimaced. "I think I just lost my appetite…"

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Both girls walked in silence, lost in thought and dreading the inevitable, weary already just thinking of the task of trying and failing to avoid the gropings that would soon follow when they got back. Needless to say Ranma wasn't looking forward to it, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it, unless she some how figured out how to cram over four hundred years of experience and learning, into her head all in the time it took them to get home. Cologne was right, unfortunately, she could only grit her teeth and bare it for the time being, and when they figured out how it would make getting rid of the old freak all the more sweeter. She didn't have to like it, but it was the smart thing to do. Just the thought though of his bony little fingers clawing and squeezing at her body was enough to freeze her blood with disgust.

How could one person become so foul and rotten?

She sighed heavily; to think things were finally starting to turn around too.

A nudging against her arm drew her from her thoughts. When she looked down she found _P-chan_, nosing at her with as much concern as was possible to convey with his limited pig features. It brought a grateful smile to her lip, though she had to wonder why Ryoga would be so concerned for her.

"Aww that's so cute," Akane gushed. "He's worried about us. I knew you two would get along eventually."

Trying not to roll her eyes, Ranma said. "Who woulda thought it?"

"Don't you feel bad for being so mean to him all those times?" Akane asked.

Ryoga looked up at her as if to say, 'Well?'

Ranma put her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look. "Not one bit."

The little piglet squealed rapidly in outraged protest, moving his forelegs animatedly as if he was trying to wave his arms about in indignation and grunting madly. All of it was too much for the two girls, causing them to burst into fits of laughter. _P-chan_ snorted, disgruntled as he settled back into Akane's arms with an irritated huff. As much as she was loathed to, Ranma had to admit his pig form was pretty cute, especially when he tried to act like a human.

"Aww, I think we hurt his feelings," Akane scratched him behind his big ears.

Ranma grinned. "Maybe we should buy him a girl pig to keep him company?"

The playful suggestion almost made the pig's eyes pop out of his head in alarm.

"Oh I think he likes that idea!" Akane replied excitedly as she completely misunderstood his reaction.

Ranma had long suspected that Akane only saw what she wanted to see, but this actually confirmed it as she looked down with amusement at the wide eyed panic in Ryoga's pig eyes, which occasionally glared at her in annoyance. She merely stuck her tongue out at him; if he was going to play the pet she was going to make it hell for him. Well, not entirely but enough to make him rethink the whole P-chan thing.

Did that make her vindictive she wondered?

When they got back to the Tendo's they were surprised to fid things rather nice and quiet. The house was a mess though where Happosai had been careless and a general pain in the ass, not caring if he broke or damaged anything. Ranma knew right away that they were going to need to all pitch in and help clean up.

They found their fathers almost passed out in the living room from exhaustion and Kasumi was just setting down drinks on the table for them; the eldest Tendo sister looked nearly as worn out as their fathers did, a few strands of hair having come loose from her pony tail and hanging in front of her eyes, yet she still managed to project her usual serenity. Which only made Ranma even more pissed off for her.

"Where's the old freak?" she asked, not sure she really wanted to know.

Genma struggled to sit up, groaning tiredly. "The Master, is on a panty raid."

Ranma couldn't help but shudder. "Well if we're lucky all the excitement will give the little monster a heart attack. Then our problems will be solved."

Her father chuckled wearily. "We're not that lucky."

"We should not speak ill of the master," Soun added worriedly. "You never know where he might be hiding and listening in."

Ranma shook her head in disgust.

"You two never change," she frowned. "You're always going to live in fear of that toad aren't you?"

"Its not that simple" her father replied sourly.

"It never is. The only thing that does seem to be though is that when he tells you to jump you don't even stop to ask how high, you just do it!" she snapped in frustration.

Genma grumbled. "You sound just like your mother."

"Well she's usually right you know," Ranma glared at him.

"What would you have us do that we haven't already tried ourselves hundreds of times? That you haven't tried over and over again?" Mr. Tendo asked irritably.

Ranma threw her hands in the air. "I don't know but at least have some dignity and stop being his slaves! Just because you two made the mistake of becoming his pupils doesn't mean we should all have to pay for it for the rest of our lives."

"If it wasn't for his teachings you wouldn't be the martial artist you are now," her father reminded her.

"And here I thought you were the one that taught me," she huffed; she hated giving him credit even when credit was due, but in this case it was warranted. "But fine, if you two want to lay there and let him boss you around like he owns you then be that way, be pathetic."

"Ranma," Akane nudged her in the arm disapprovingly.

She gave them both exasperated looks and shook her head.

"We'll help Kasumi tidy up and get dinner ready, since you two can't do anything at the moment," she sighed.

Akane nearly jumped in excitement. "Oh, I can make dinner."

"No!" every cried in unison.

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It was the dead of night when Soun stumbled into the dojo and blinked through blurry eyes to find Genma kneeling in front of the honour shrine, candles burning on either side on top of long poles, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows across the hard wood boards and hanging scrolls. So deep in his thoughts, Genma almost didn't hear his old friend walk in. He hadn't expected anyone else to be awake, much less Soun, since Happosai seemed to pick on him more; probably because Soun had always been much weaker willed and was easy to boss around. Whatever the case, he had expected his friend would be too exhausted to even so much as leave his bed until tomorrow.

"What are you doing up?" Soun asked as he joined him on the floor.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Genma replied good naturedly. He sighed seconds later though and scratched his chin in thought, frowning slightly. "I couldn't sleep. I have far too much on my mind at the moment. I can't help but feel that this is my fault."

Soun raised an eye brow sceptically. "How is this your fault?"

"I was the one that heard about the, 'Legendary Martial Arts Master,'" Genma replied sourly. "I was the one that convinced you to go with me to see him and beg him to train us. We have to deal with him now because of my ambition."

"I went with you of my own free will," Soun shrugged tiredly.

Genma sighed inwardly, glaring through his glasses at the shrine as he thought back to all the things they had done for the old man, all the hardships and humiliations; it didn't seem nearly as worth it now all these years later. They had wanted to be able to pass a legacy down to their children; instead they had cursed their families with a parasite. They thought they had freed themselves from the master's influence and evil when they sealed him inside that cave; now he wished had slit the old man's throat instead. He was certain they would pay for their mistake for a long time to come yet. In the meantime though, it was their children that suffered as well.

"Ranma's right," he said calmly. "We do need to do something.

Soun tapped out a cigarette and lit it up, the smoke from the tip drifting up to join the wisps from Genma's pipe.

"She does have her mother's knack for making one feel guilty," Soun agreed, causing Genma to chuckle lightly. "As I said earlier though, what can we do that we haven't already tried in the past? We sealed him in a cave for over ten years without any food or water and he still survived. I think we need to face reality that we're never getting rid of him, we're stuck with him."

It was hard not to agree with him, but Genma had fought desperately to change and pull his family back together months ago and prove that he wasn't the coward they both believed him to be. What would Nodoka think if she came back and found him bowing and scrapping like a slave to the little demon? The shame was too much to bear.

He took a long drag of his pipe and frowning, exhaled large plume of smoke into the air.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we do have to do something, if we ever expect our children to respect us we have to think of something.

"I'm open to suggestions," Soun replied calmly, though it was clearly obvious that he thought it was a futile waste of time.

Genma sighed, longing for the days when the most pressing concern they had was trying to figure out how to get Ranma and Akane to even talk to each other nicely. Those times felt so long ago now. Now, with the revelation of the past few weeks he had to deal with the very real possibility of Ranma _maybe_ some day becoming a bridge herself; he had a new found respect for Soun, wondering how he had managed to deal with worrying about three daughters. He knew if push came to shove Ranma could look after herself and would never want to be treated like some frail bird, but it didn't stop him from thinking about it in the back of his mind since he had found out about her liking Ryoga. Though he wasn't entirely sure he could see her agreeing to wear a wedding dress; not without a fight at least.

He was proud of her inherent ability to adapt though.

Genma frowned at a disturbing thought. What if Happosai demanded Ranma marry someone to produce a new heir? Ranma would never go for it, that was for sure, but Happosai didn't like being told no either. Surely the same thought had to have occurred to Soun as well about Akane and her sisters too. None of them would agree to that and there was no way either of them would try to force them. They had learnt their lesson trying to force Ranma and Akane together for so long and failing rather miserably.

He grimaced as his stomach twisted with stress.

"AAAAIIIIEEEEE!"

Genma and Soun leapt to their feet as the ear piercing scream cut through the silent night, startling both of them. They both recognized Ranma's voice as clearly as though she were talking to them. Genma felt dread sliding coldly down his back as they ran as quickly as their tired bodies would allow them back inside. By the time they reached the stairs inside the house practically shook with a heavy impact that thundered loudly throughout.

The Tendo sisters were standing just outside their doors as the two of them reached the top of the stairs. At the same time Happosai crashed through the guest bedroom door, laughing triumphantly as he leapt over them and bounded down the stairs, with Ranma rushing out of the room welding a mallet in her hand and her eyes blazing like blue furious fire.

"I'm going to kill you, you perverted little freak of nature!" she screamed in an incredible rage.

She didn't even seem to notice the two of them as she charged past them, swinging her weapon to try and catch the old man in mid air, but he was purposefully staying just out of her reach by a hairs width, just to infuriate her more. The two quickly disappeared around a corner, but the sound of destruction didn't.

"This is going to get worse before they get better," Genma sighed.

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To say the mood around the table the next morning was tense, would have been an understatement of epic proportions. Ranma and the other girls sat and ate in moody silence, glaring – even Kasumi was fed up – at the food in their hands and refusing to look their fathers in the eye. Happosai had crossed the line last night and she had had it. She couldn't grit her teeth and bear it any longer; she wanted the old freak gone and so did the others. Last night had been the final straw. She could put up with him stealing her underwear, it was annoying but it was mostly harmless. She could even endure being groped through her clothes if need be. But, she would not stand for him coming into her room while she was asleep and lifting her night shirt up so he could maul her naked breasts like some kind of wild animal!

To wake up to that wrinkled old little troll drooling on her was the most disgusting thing she had ever experienced and she was not going to let it happen again.

He had to go!

She knew their combined silence was making their fathers uncomfortable with worry, but she didn't care. They were just as responsible for letting things get this bad in the first place. No martial arts style was worth putting up with this. Enough was enough.

Of course that still left how she was going to get rid of him.

She had considered the Neko-Fist, but just because she had caught Cologne by surprise with it once didn't mean Happosai would react in the same way. Hell, he probably invented it; the ridiculously cruel training method reeked of his twisted thinking. There was also the fact, as Cologne kept reminding her that he was stronger and more cunning than the old ghoul was, so there was no guarantee that she could defeat him in her _berserker _like state.

"Please don't do anything rash," her father pleaded suddenly.

Ranma shot him an icy glare. "I shouldn't have to!"

"We know, but remember if you fail he'll only make things worse for you," Mr Tendo reminded her quickly.

"Worse?" Akane demanded angrily. "How can you sit there and say that after what happened last night? What if it had been one of us?"

Soun backed off quickly, knowing there was nothing her could say to argue against her. Truth was he would have led the charge against Happosai regardless of his chances of winning if the littler lecherous freak had dared do that to one of his girls and they all knew it; but, that didn't excuse him being a coward about it now. Ranma wanted blood and that's what she was going to get, and neither Mr. Tendo nor her own father was going to convince her otherwise at this point.

She admitted silently to herself that she should have let him die from withdrawals when she and Akane stuck the girl repellent on him. Now they couldn't even use that on him because there was no way in hell he was going to let them get him with the same trick twice, not to mention they would never get close enough to hurt him without being affected by it too. Then again it might be worth it if it meant watching him wither in agony from the withdrawals.

Ranma decided to keep that as Plan C.

That still left Plan A and Plan B to work out.

"Good morning everyone!"

Ranma nearly chomped through her chopsticks as the little troll walked into the room with a cheery skip in his step and made himself comfortable. He was either completely oblivious to the abrupt change in temperature as the four young women glared coldly at him or he simply didn't care. He was bright eyed and well rested while the four of them hadn't been able to sleep for the rest of the night for fear of being assaulted in their sleep. Ranma felt every enraged and insulted fibre in her body tense at the sight of him, screaming for his life; until Akane suddenly put a hand on her knee to grab her attention and shook her head slightly. With a great deal of effort she managed to swallow the rage that threatened to explode out of her.

Now wasn't the time.

"You're all awfully quiet this morning," Happosai observed calmly, before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You wouldn't be planning something now, would you?"

There was something menacing in the way he said that, as he looked around the table that sent a cold shiver down Ranma's spine. As much as she wanted to kick his ass, she had to keep reminding herself that he could probably destroy her with his pinkie if he wanted to. She hated to admit it, but he did truly terrify her, in the same way Cologne did. Both of them were as different from her as she was from Akane, or as Akane was from the boys she had regularly used to beat up every morning at school. It was incredibly sobering and something to keep in mind before she ran off half cocked to challenge him.

Her father surprised her when he suddenly said. "We were just discussing what happened last night."

Happosai feigned surprise. "Oh?"

Ranma watched curiously as her father and Mr Tendo shared nervous glances with each other.

"Yes," Soun replied hesitantly. "We were thinking that, respectfully, maybe–"

"Maybe?" Ranma echoed dangerously as she interrupted him in disbelief.

"Maybe you may have gone a little too far last night," Mr Tendo continued, trying to be as diplomatic as possible as he ignored the fuming red head. "And you perhaps owe Ranma an apology."

Happosai laughed instantly. "What for?"

"What for? What for!" Ranma snarled in disbelief, struggling to stop herself from attacking the old freak. "You know damn well what for, you senile old prune!"

"I'm not apologizing for anything," Happosai crossed his arms and pouted like a spoil child. "You should be grateful your master shows such an interest in your personal development!"

"Who would be grateful to have your filthy little hands on them?" she demanded with growing rage. "You're a disgusting little toad!"

Happosai gave her a dark look. "You should show more respect to your master."

"How about I show my foot to your ass!" she hissed dangerously.

The old grand master smirked. "I would like to see you try, girly."

Before she even realized she was doing it, she was half away across the table and making to grab him when Akane, reacting just that bit faster than everyone else grabbed her under the arms and forcibly pulled her back with all her might. All the while Happosai chuckled and ate his breakfast without concern.

"Don't Ranma, he's just baiting you," Akane hissed in her ear.

Ranma struggled, her arms flailing uselessly. "I don't care!"

"Perhaps you three should leave for school, before it gets too much later," Mr Tendo suggested hastily.

"No!" Ranma roared loud enough to shock most of those in the room, including Akane's whose hold on her lessened enough to allow her to break free. She got to her feet and glared at the arrogant old bastard. "I've had it! You two can cower in fear of him but I won't! I'm challenging you to a match Happosai, right now, no waiting!"

"Ranma," Genma said uneasily. "Don't be stupid."

She ignored him, her eyes locking with Happosai's. "If I win you leave Tokyo and never come back!"

Happosai regarded her with amusement, as if he were about to pull the wings off the back of a fly, but Ranma refused to back down. She didn't care if he was older and more powerful, she wasn't going to lay down and take this anymore. This was going to end today, one way or another.

"And when _I _win, I'll tell you what I want," the old man replied finally. "Deal?"

Ranma gritted her teeth and noted the looks apprehension in her father's and Mr Tendo's eyes as they shook their heads at her desperately for her to back down. She should have been terrified. Gods only knew what he would ask for, and with his sick and twisted mind it would be any number of degrading, humiliating things. No, she knew she should have had the common sense to be terrified of him, but rage overwhelmed her good sense and screamed for blood.

"Deal!" she replied.

A second later Ranma was sent crashing through the paper thin screen doors and bounced across the grassy ground and slammed into the wall surrounding the property. The world spun around her as her vision exploded in white blinding pain and shock. She stuck to the wall for a second or two, before peeling away and thumping to the ground. Her vision came in and out of focus as she struggled to climb to her feet, her legs nearly giving out from under her. Her eyes focused long enough to see Happosai flying at her like a missile as the others rushed outside behind him; with a surge of strength she leapt aside, out of the way.

Only for Happosai to hook her ankle with the end of his pipe and smash her into the ground; she cried out as the ground beneath her gave away, leaving an impression of her body. Then she was flying again straight up into the air with a shrill scream. Her eyes widened as he appeared above her, and punched her in the mid section and sent her crashing into the ground again; when she hit, her body bounced like a rubber ball. She could hear Akane crying out at Happosai to stop, but Ranma knew was too late for that.

Her entire body tingled with warning, and shoving all the pain and rising fear aside, she forced her battered body to spring up and lashed out with her foot in one fluid motion as she felt him approach from behind.

But her foot only slashed through empty space.

Ranma looked around, rapidly in a panic as her body throbbed with hurt; He was gone. Her mouth went dry as she forced herself up, staggering as every muscle in her body threatened to give out on her. She could still feel him.

Yes, she had meant to fight him, but part of her hadn't really expected him to take the fight seriously. He never did, even when he made deals that were in his favour he never foot her for real, regardless of her gender; she had never been worth his time. No, she had expected him to mock and toy with her until something else grabbed his attention; she never expected him to purposefully try to hurt her.

"Ranma, behind you!" Akane shouted suddenly.

The red head whipped around to unleash her _Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken_, but the little old freak caught hand in the first punch and with a slight flick of his wrist, he sent her sailing into the tree in the corner of the yard against the wall. She slammed into the trunk of the tree with enough force that the entire tree bent and creaked in protest. She fell to the ground and collapsed in a heap, her entire body covered in marks and quick forming bruises, gasping and struggling to move as he landed a couple of feet from her and smirked smugly.

"Surrender," Happosai commanded. "And I might be forgiving."

She snarled. "Go to hell!"

Ranma screamed as she forced herself up and fired her _Moko Takabisha_, into him at point blank range. It made a fantastic explosion that blasted her backwards into the tree again and sent a geyser of dirt and dust shooting into the sky as the explosion rumbled across the area like a dying thunder clap. Ranma felt victory surge through her as she got her legs under herself and got up shakily, using the tree to support herself as she watched and waited with baited breath.

Within minutes the cloud dissipated and Ranma's heart sank as she saw Happosai standing there with hands folded behind his back like nothing had happened, unharmed with a mildly impressed gleam in his ancient cruel eyes. Ranma shook her head in disbelief; in fact if it wasn't for the singe marks across hid clothing, it would have seemed as if the blast hadn't even touched him.

"Not bad," he nodded as if he was some wise sage, before shooting her a terrifying look. "But, you're still four hundred years too early to face me, little girl."

Ranma cursed inwardly as she felt her entire body tremble involuntarily, but it wasn't from exhaustion anymore; it was fear that rode her spine from top to bottom, chilling her as he pinned her with a dark and ominous grin.

"However," he continued. "It's time to end this little game, girly. Time for your punishment, for being such a disrespectful disciple."

Terror seized her but try as she might, her legs refused to move. She knew it was over, Happosai had won and now he would probably make her do something horribly humiliating. She could only stand there and watch as He prepared to deliver the final blow and leapt at her.

Then her father was there without warning, and nailed the old man in the side of the face. Happosai smashed into the wall and bounced off with a surprised look on his face. Ranma looked at her father in shock, her reaction mirrored in the expression of the Tendo family.

"Pops?" she didn't even know what to say.

"Genma!" Happosai snapped with a warning note of annoyance in his tone. "Think carefully about what you're doing. I won't be nearly as forgiving with you."

Genma glowered at him. "I've made many mistakes in my life, but standing back and watching you beat and intimidate a seventeen year old, won't be one of them! If you fight Ranma you're going to fight me too, is that clear?"

Ranma was completely lost for words as she stared at her father, like he was an utterly different person; she had never seen this side of him before. Akane had told her about how he showed up without warning and saved them from Kinnii's attack, but she wasn't entirely she ever really believed it. Now here he was, defending her from Happosai of all people.

"You're getting soft Ranma," Genma said, before smirking cockily at her. "Well are you just gonna just stand there or are you going to fight?"

With a surge of renewed courage and will to win, Ranma pushed the pain and exhaustion aside and forced herself to her feet, and nodded confidently as she shifted into a fighting stance. Maybe winning was impossible, but there was no way she was going to go down without one hell of a fight first!

"Let's go!" Ranma shouted.

Happosai flinched in alarm as both Saotomes leapt at him simultaneously in a synchronized attack that caught him off guard. Genma attacked low and Happosai leapt up and away, only to for Ranma to leap off her father's back at the same time and plant the heel of her foot in the center of his chest. The strike sent the little troll crashing backwards through the wall and into the street.

The attack and smashing through the wall had done little more than piss the old freak off as he hopped to his feet and blocked Genma's next attack. Without warning he flung her father into as she descended from above. Both of them were sent flying and bouncing down the street in a tangle limbs.

"You ungrateful upstarts! After everything I've done for you Genma and this is how you repay your master?" the old man stamped his feet like a spoilt child ready to throw a temper tantrum. "You'll both be sorry!"

Ranma grimaced as she got to her feet. "We'll see about that."

Both Saotomes charged at him, but this time he was more than ready for them and disappeared before they were even within five feet of him. Ranma reeled with alarm, her looking all around her as she turned in circles, looking for him, her heart pounding with adrenalin. The look on her father's face mimicked her own. Then, without warning he pitched forward with a surprised cry as Happosai kicked him in the back of the head and knocked him off his feet. Ranma spun, her foot cleaving the air, but the old man merely dove at her and slammed head first into her abdomen.

It felt like she had been hit with a sledge hammer, her body rippling from the impact as all the energy driving his small missile like body slammed through her like a freight train and threw her backwards into a telephone pole. None of the hits she had ever taken from Akane even began to compare.

Her head ringing and her body battered and bruised, Ranma coughed and heaved as she tried to catch her breath, sweat pouring off her brow as she tried to regain her strength, trying desperately to shrug it off. Happosai could see the desperation though and grinned ominously at her as he approached.

The Genma was suddenly behind him.

"_Haku Dato Shin Sho!_"

Even Happosai was caught off guard as her father slammed the rapid strike attack into the old man's back. The Umi-Sen Ken attack was enough to send the old troll flying forward with almost comical look of wide eyed shock on his face. Seeing her chance, Ranma leapt to her feet and went to punch him square in the face as he sailed towards her, only for him to shove one of his bombs into her arms and hop away. Ranma only had time to blink as the fuse disappeared a second later, and then she was engulfed by the explosion that followed.

She had been blown up enough times now by his _Happo Dai Karin_, that it did little more than rattle her bones, singe her body and clothes, and mess up her hair, but it was still enough to shock her and send her crashing to the ground.

A large hand grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and hoisted her to her feet. Her father gave her a questioning look to make sure she was ok, but she waved his concern aside; she may have been stuck with a smaller, softer body now, but it was going to take more than a little bomb to keep her down for the count.

Laughter echoed through the air as they looked up to find the old goat perched on a wall like a tiny gargoyle, grinning evilly.

"You two have no chance of defeating me," he told them in amusement. "It doesn't matter how many ways you come at me or how many attacks you use, you can not beat me, you foolish ingrates."

Ranma glared at him. "We're not the one's that keep running away, coward."

Happosai only laughed harder.

"You think I'm scared of you girly? How adorable," he continued to laugh as if it was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard. "You sure have some guts my girl, that's what I always liked about you Ranma. You never had the brains to no when to back down when you really should."

"That's why I always win in the end!" she snarled, sick and tired of listening to his grating voice.

Happosai continued to chuckle ominously, barely loud enough for them all to hear, like this was all just a big game for him. It sent shivers down their spines as he looked at her with the same hunger of a predator stalking its next meal. She had never seen him like this before; sure she had fought her before, goaded her into doing stupid things, but they had never really been battles so much as they were trying in vain to get even with him for all his pranks and perverted deeds. He had never had any true interest in trading blows with her so much as he was in keeping something around to keep him entertained or to satisfy his perverted whims. But never like this; he had never _wanted_ to fight her like he did now.

It was unsettling.

Happosai jumped down to the street and landed with his hands clasped behind his back. "So you think you can beat me do you?"

Her father didn't look too sure, but Ranma stole away the fear she felt and smirked arrogantly. "I know we can, and we will!"

"Is that so?" there was that same infuriating laugh born of the knowledge that he knew something she didn't and was leading her into a trap. "Your father knows that's not true, I can see it in his eyes, though he's trying to put on a good show of being brave, but he knows neither of you can truly win."

Ranma snorted. "Yeah, Cologne and Pantyhose and Herb and Saffron and Ryu and Kirrin and Toma all said the same thing too, and I defeated each and every one of them. I'll find some way of to beat you, I always do."

"Such confidence is for the young and stupid," Happosai replied with a dismissive, disappointed shake of his head. The he smiled darkly. "Would you like to see the true _Happo Dai Karin_?"

It was as if someone had suddenly turned off all the sound in the world, plunging everything into silence. Ranma felt her entire body lurch with shock and dread at his words as her brain struggled to keep up. She looked at her father, but he had the same uncertain, dumbfounded look on his face that she had and was on the Mr. Tendo's face. They had no idea what he was talking about either, which only made her blood go colder.

"What are you talking about?" Genma was the first to ask, his entire body as tense as a spring and ready to attack or defend at a second's notice. It was hard to miss the slight tremble that ran through out him or the thin nervous sheen of sweat that glistened on his forehead.

Ranma frowned, more from confusion than anything else. "You can't frighten us with that anymore. Your pathetic bombs are nothing."

Happosai chuckled coldly.

"It's true that that's all the _Happo Dai Karin _was when I first learnt it so long ago, but a true Martial Artist never settles for a technique as it is. A true Martial Artist is constantly creating new techniques and improving old ones, and as a young lad that was exactly what I did," he explained proudly, much to their rapidly increasing nervousness. This only amused the old troll even more. "What you have seen is merely a basic version, the foundation of the true technique that had to be mastered first. No one believed it was possible, and they gave up, but not me. I succeeded where everyone else had failed. After many years of hard work and training, I mastered the, _Ultimate Happo Dai Karin_!"

Ranma swallowed uneasily as she stared at him, her nervousness starting to get the better of her.

Happosai grinned wildly. "And you will be the first people to have seen it in over three hundred years."

Warning bells were suddenly screaming away inside her head as she stared at the old man, finally noticing a strange flow in the ki all around her. She could feel it all being pulled away from her, like a vacuum was sucking it all up. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she realized it was all flowing towards him. The blue glow of the Grand Master's battle aura flared around him, flowing off him like flames dancing in the air, his eyes almost seeming to glow with it as a sphere of ki appeared between his tiny hands, no larger than a softball, but the power that came off it was incredible. It completely dwarfed _Moko Takabisha _or Ryoga's _Shishi Hokodan_. The whole thing rippled with pulses of white energy emanating from the center.

Real fear seized the red head as she looked at him in shock.

Happosai continued to grin smugly. "Still think you can beat me girly?"

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The explosion was like an enormous clap of thunder.

Pale blue light exploded upwards, above the wards with arcs of energy crackling off it, the streets funnelling clouds of dirt and dust in every direction as the explosion continued to rumble. Everything hurt, and the eerie silence that followed disorientated everything around her as Ranma struggled not to cry out in pain, that shot through her entire body from head to toe. She couldn't move, all her energy was gone, depleted in a single instant as she laid sprawled across the hard ground in shock, exhaustion and agony.

Akane was standing over her, shaking her roughly, saying something, but all Ranma heard was the persistent ring that filled her ears. Slowly though, other sounds started to join it, before steadily overcoming it all together as Akane said her name over and over again, and P-chan nudging the side of her head with worried squeals.

"Ranma! Ranma, can you hear me?" the girl shouted.

It took her a few seconds, but finally she found her voice and managed to croak out a simple yes. Except that she hurt unlike she ever had before, she knew without question that nothing was broken.

"Are you ok?" Akane pressed forward.

"I-I-I think s-so," she stammered slowly, wincing as she did. "Everything hurts though."

With Akane's help, she managed to sit up. As she did, her eyes nearly leaped out of her skull. The street was blackened and several walls on either side of the street containing houses were cracked, crumbling or completely turned to rubble already, including the street facing wall of the Tendo household, several dozen feet ahead of her. It took a while before it suddenly hit her how far the attack had blasted her. The power of the attack was incredible and terrifying at the same time and only served to illustrate the cosmic gulf that separated her from someone as powerful as Happosai or even Cologne.

When she remembered her father suddenly she looked around and saw Mr. Tendo helping him into a sitting position.

"He's ok," Akane reassured her. "He's hurting like you though."

Laughter interrupted them, and Ranma glared as best she could to mask the pure undiluted terror that suddenly flooded through her, as she looked down the street to see Happo walking slowly towards her. She gulped and felt her body tense, and she struggled not to clutch to Akane in fear; not that she could with her arms and legs feeling like lead weights. She was nearly close to hyper ventilating when he stopped barely two feet from them with his hands clasped causally behind his back.

"You still think you'll find a way to defeat me?" he asked ominously.

She shuddered involuntarily, and cursed herself for it as the old goat laughed at her as she cast her eyes downward in humiliation.

He licked his lips. "Now… about what I want for winning."

Ranma felt herself start to tremble; she couldn't stop herself from imagining only the worse. When she finally forced herself to look him in the eye, he was glaring at her darkly.

"I want," he started with a, pausing just long enough to make sure he had her attention. "The Saotome School disbanded!"

In an instant, everyone present froze as they stared at him in disbelief. Ranma felt her heart stop and her mouth suddenly turn dry as she shot a glance at her father, but he didn't noticed. He could only stare at the little old man in shock; you could have knocked him over with a feather.

"What?" she asked, certain she had misunderstood him.

The old man narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I want the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts disbanded. I no longer recognize either of you as my disciples nor do I recognize your school as a branch of mine. You no longer have the right to use the name of my school as your own, or to teach what I have taught you. The Saotome Branch is no more."

Ranma shook her with growing panic. "Why?"

Happosai regarded her coldly, like she was little more than a bug that he could crush beneath his heel. Right at that moment that was exactly what she felt like, completely and utterly helpless and at his mercy, of which she knew he had none in his tiny black heart.

"Why?" he asked calmly, his tone like ice. "Because I no longer need you."

"But, we've given so much fo-" Ranma broke off in mid sentence as he turned and started away from them, trying to understand as it all came crashing down on her. She felt the anger bubble up in her throat like bile. "You can't do this to us!"

Happosai continued to walk away without giving her a second glance or even acknowledging her words, leaving her staring after him in confusion, stunned, shocked and helplessly furious; it felt as though a piece of her was dying. She struggled to breath, her heart racing and pounding painfully inside her chest. She looked to her father for him to say something, to protest, but his reaction didn't seem all that different from her own as he stared ahead blankly.

"Master you can't do this!" Soun echoed, catching them all by surprise as he got to his feet.

Happosai stopped and turned, giving Soun a withering glare. "You don't tell me what I can and can not do Soun. Don't test my patience, unless you want to join them!"

Soun didn't back down though; he held Happosai's challenging gaze without flinching, his face looking like it was made of stone. The two of them stared at each other for the longest time, neither willing to back down. All anyone could so was watch in silently, waiting to see what happened next. The Soun took a deep breath, wrapping himself in an air of steadfast resolve as he squared his shoulders.

"Then the Tendo school is disbanded," Soun declared.

Everyone gasped, even Happosai's eyes widened in stunned surprise. Ranma and Genma's looks of disbelief were rivalled only by Akane and her sisters staring at their father in earth shattering shock. They all knew how much the school meant to him, it was the second most important thing in his life next to his daughters.

"What?" Happosai demanded with a deep frown.

"Dad," Akane started worriedly, but he held up his hand to stop her.

He stood his ground. "I am no longer your disciple. You are not my master. We don't need your school's name. We can start over without you."

"Do not play games with my Tendo," the old man warned.

"I'm not playing games!" Soun snapped, stunning the old man. "I want you out of my house. You are no longer welcomed here. Leave!"

Happosai almost seemed to tremble with anger, his eyes narrowing to furious slits of cold rage. For a second, Ranma thought he was going to attack Mr. Tendo, but the little old freak stood motionless, his thoughts impossible to guess as they ran through his ancient mind. It was tense, the silence that settled over them all, like a powder keg waiting to explode. Ranma didn't even realize she was holding her breath until her lungs suddenly screamed for air.

"Fine," Happosai hissed. Before anyone could blink, he leapt up on to a wall and gave them one last look. "This isn't over though. You'll regret your insolence Soun, mark my words, this is far from over!"

Then he was gone, disappearing across rooftops into the distance.

Ranma could only sit there, frozen by what had just happened.

Everything had just changed…

_**To Be Continued!**_

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**A/N:**

** Ok, as always I'm just going to take a moment to bring up a few things that I think deserve mentioning.**

** First – I do not like Happosai. He was funny at first and sure, he's provided a couple of laughs here and there after his initial appearance, but for the most part I find him to be a truly annoying character that serves no purpose other than to add more crap for Ranma to deal with on a daily basis; as if he/she didn't already have enough of that. So if he seems a little darker and more selfish than usually, believe me when I say that its only partly because of my dislike of him and that I do have a purpose behind personality enhancement.**

** Secondly – but still on the subject of Happosai, I know everyone sees him as this comical, annoying lecherous little freak, but I can't help but see him in a different light in context of his age. Consider for a moment that, given his extreme age, Happosai has seen some of the more turbulent times in Japan's history, especially during its feudal age where I'm safe in believing that he would have killed many people in his very long life and, probably enjoyed it to, and I'm willing to bet he probably did far worse. **

** Thirdly – On the Akane part at the beginning. I know she is a serious martial artist and that she wants to carry on her fathers school just as much as Ranma wants to carry on hers too, but while Akane is better than an average martial artist, she's still worlds away from ever being the martial artist that Ranma is or most of the other characters are. **

**Fourthly – This chapter was always going to end this way, from the moment I did a brief outline of the entire series, I planned on the chapter ending with Happosai "disowning" Ranma and Genma. The ending was written and reworked several times, but it was always the same outcome. Soun growing a back bone however and standing up to Happosai was a spur of the moment thing that happened while I was typing this up from the draft when I felt the original ending was still too weak by itself. What does this mean for the Tendos and the Saotomes? All will be revealed before the series is over ^_^**

**Fifthly – The whole thing with Happosai is far from over. This chapter was merely the beginning, so please don't think just because Ranma, Soun and Genma are no longer his disciples that he's gone from good. Far from it.**

**Anyway, I hope this chapter was good, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to see you around for the next one! **

**Thanks for reading ^_^**


	27. Chapter 26: Winter's End

**A/N: OMG, finally this chapter is finished and done with!**

**I know I'm seriously overdue with this chapter since the draft was finished weeks ago, but aside from having my school life thrown into chaos, having tons of assignments and needing to get works finished for an upcoming exhibition, I had trouble with a few parts of this chapter that required them to be completely rewritten from scratch and the whole process in general from having to type this up from my penned draft in a notebook – my hand writing is incredibly small and hard to read – was just a complete pain in the ass.**

**Anyway, the chapter's done now and that's all that matters. I had thought about chopping it up into two chapters, but decided against doing that.**

**I will warn that its highly unlikely that another chapter will be finished or uploaded between now and December as I'm gonna be really busy over the next couple of months finishing up this art course and then I have to look for a job. So I will TRY to get another chapter done before then, but I just want people to know thats it highly unlikely.**

**Anyways I hope you will enjoy this chapter.**

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Chapter 26

_Winter's End_

The air was filled with the dull roar of many voices, carrying throughout the length of the Snow Mountain Ski Resort as skiers and snowboarders zipped down the slopes and in around trees at breakneck speeds. Kids ran and played, squealing and laughing as they made snowmen and hauled snowballs at one another, while others tackled the smaller child friendlier slopes on sleds and toboggans. Looking out from the balcony, at the forest of tall snow laden pine tries covering the forest, and the way the sun glistened off the white blanketed ground Ranma thought that any other time, this would have been a wonderful place to visit.

But this wasn't any other time.

The red head lazed back in the chair, balancing it precariously on its back legs with her hands behind her head trying to look as unapproachable as possible and as if she couldn't care less about anything. If only it was that simple. She couldn't help but think that it seemed like she only got to come here on vacation when something monumental was happening in her life; first when Cologne had inflicted her with the Cat's Tongue technique, and now this. She would have liked to visit when she didn't have something hanging over her head like a dark cloud. The only difference between now and then was that there was no simple race she could win, no foe to defeat or a magic pill to take that could fix the damage she had done this time.

This time, the dark cloud was entirely of her own doing.

Not that anyone else was blaming her for what happened, except herself.

For a few days they had all been left shocked and surprised by what had happened and they had all said very little to one another. The Tendo sisters were the most surprised of all in the wake of their father's reaction to Happosai denouncing her and her father and their school, considering that the only thing he loved more than his dojo was his daughters and the lengths he had gone to in the past to protect its name. Ranma personally was torn between both shock and surprise.

Shock at losing the school, and surprise at how her own father was handling it. Given how much time and energy he had poured into making a name for the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, Ranma thought that having all that taken away from them would have killed him, or at the very least he would have blamed her for challenging the master in the first place; but, he didn't. In fact after the initial shock had worn off and he had time to digest it all, he was taking it all better than she was. Both he and Mr. Tendo were, and it had confounded her to no end.

Until the reason why hit her.

They were free.

They all were.

They didn't have to put up with Happosai any longer. They weren't his disciples and he couldn't pull the master card crap anymore. He wasn't part of their lives anymore and never would be again if any of them had anything to say about it. It was an incredibly liberating realization, but at the same time it left a bitter taste in her mouth. It irritated her to no end that she had played right into Happosai's twisted little game; it was obvious that he had targeted her, the most just to piss her off and drive her to do something incredibly stupid. He could have simply denounced them, but he had wanted to make a point. Happosai wanted to humiliate her; he just didn't count on her father or Mr. Tendo standing up to him the way they had.

Ranma sighed as she looked past all the holiday goers and gazed at the white covered mountains and countless trees that filled her view.

It was incredibly beautiful.

The trip had been Cologne's doing. She had invited her and the Tendo sisters - and by extension their parents - to the resort when she asked if they would help out with the Nekohanten branch at Snow Mountain, since the last time they had opened they had done great business and the resort owners had been begging the old ghoul to come back ever since. There had been so many orders and deliveries last time though that Cologne had decided to ask for their help, offering them both a place to stay and wages as well.

Having just had her ass handed to her and practically her identity ripped away from her, the last thing the red head wanted to do was run all over the place delivering food to jerks that would - and did - touch her ass at any chance they got. But, her mother thought it was a wonderful idea, since the school would be closed for a few days due to a heavy snowfall and as Cologne was putting them up for the duration of the trip and paying the girls she had agreed for Ranma, much to her dismay. So for the last few days she had grudgingly ran all over the place along with Akane and Shampoo, and only had to wallop a few couple of guys on the head for trying to touch her butt. While the three of them delivered the orders, Kasumi helped Cologne make them, while Nabiki - happily - handled the money.

Mousse of course was left with the cleaning duty.

It wasn't strenuous work though and she was getting paid for it, so there was little reason for her to complain about it, but she knew Cologne hadn't invited them along because she needed the help. Cologne wanted them out of Nerima for a few days in case Happosai decided to make good on his threat earlier than they expected. She had seen the worry in the old woman's eyes when they had told her what had happened, and she had been quiet vocal in her disapproval of Ranma being stupid enough to challenge Happosai the way she had. She wasn't afraid to admit that the fact that Cologne was worried, even somewhat fearful – despite how well she tried to hide it – had left her feeling uneasy as well.

Another couple of days and they would be heading back though. Today however, Cologne had closed the shop and given them all the day off to relax and enjoy themselves, and have some fun. Ranma didn't feel much like having fun though.

It irked her that everyone appeared to take losing the schools, so well. She could understand Kasumi and Nabiki being able to move on faster than the rest of them, the dojo was only important to them because it was important to their father and Akane, but neither of them were as invested as their father or sister. As far as Akane and their fathers went, the fact that they could breathe easier and be all cheery irritated her. After all the hell they had put her through, defending the honour of the schools, protecting stupid signs and getting beaten black and blue in the process and they just moved on like it was no big deal.

And maybe it wasn't, after all it was just a name. The techniques they had developed were their own no matter what Happosai claimed; hell, her most powerful techniques didn't even come from the Anything Goes list of attacks and techniques. They could easily start over with their own schools, and get rid of all the distasteful crap that had resulted because of Happosai's teachings.

Although, while that was all good and true Ranma couldn't help but feel that everything she had suffered through and accomplished as 'Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts' all amounted to nothing. It all felt so pointless, a waste of time and energy that she couldn't get back. So as far as she was concerned, she was entitled to moving on at her own pace, despite how everyone else was handling it; she had earned it.

When a familiar burst of laughter suddenly interrupted her line of thought, Ranma frowned tightly.

Not too far away Akane was playing with, 'P-chan.'

The dark haired teenager had made a snowman, but instead of giving its head a face, she had buried her pet up to his neck. Despite the cold, the pig seemed to be enjoying himself... Or at the very least was humouring the girl that would cook him up on a spit if she ever discovered his secret. Ryoga had been like a little lap dog for days, not that Akane gave him much choice in the matter; she hadn't let him out of her sight. It was setting Ranma's teeth on edge, and as much as she hated to admit it she was starting to feel familiar stirrings of jealousy resurfacing whenever she watched them; which only made her feel even more stupid, especially after the great big speech she had given him the other week.

Her frown deepened as the two continued to play, obliviously; would it kill him to ask how she was doing after this whole mess with Happosai!

Ranma sighed heavily; she was being stupid.

The red head lazed back in her chair, balanced precariously on its back two legs as she stared up at the cloudy sky. She didn't even see the snow ball until it suddenly smacked her in the face in explosion of white. Ranma squealed involuntarily and fell backwards out of her chair as she lost her balance and crashed to the ground in a heap.

"Bullseye!" Akane laughed.

Ranma glared over the edge of the railing as she pulled herself up, clumps of brilliant white snow contrasting against the bright red of her hair and glanced around to make sure no one had seen or heard her squeal as the other girl came running over with a huge, highly amused grin on her face, and P-chan in her arms.

"Ha, ha, so funny" she grumbled as she brushed the snow out of her crimson locks and picked her chair up.

"Oh come on, lighten up," Akane stuck her hands on her hips. "Come have some fun with us. It'll help take your mind off things."

"No thanks," she replied stubbornly.

"Oh come on," the other girl pressed insistently. "You've been so gloomy for days. The whole reason for today is to have some fun and enjoy ourselves. All you're doing it sitting around and looking moody."

"I'm fine," Ranma said a bit more sharply than she really meant to, causing the other girl to flinch in surprise. Ranma recovered quickly. "I just want to be alone to think, ok."

"O-ok," Akane frowned in disappointment.

Akane looked put out as she stared and sighed helplessly at her, but Ranma ignored her as she brushed away some stray clumps of snow that escaped to her shoulders and returned to her chair, leaning back comfortably. Realizing she wasn't going to win the argument, Akane turned and started away. Inwardly Ranma felt like a complete jackass, but the last thing she wanted to do was play around in the snow making pretend that Ryoga was a real pig. It had been hard enough finding time to herself as it was.

"She's only trying to help, you know?"

Ranma looked around with a start to find her mother standing there.

"Yeah….. I know," she replied slightly with a sigh as her mother sat down next to her.

Her mother stared at her perplexed. "Well then, what's wrong? You've been walking around like a bear with a sore paw for days."

Ranma chewed the inside of her cheek, then glanced over at Akane playing with P-chan and narrowed her eyes irritably.

"They are," she said through nearly clenched teeth.

Her mother blinked in surprise as she followed her daughter's gaze. "I don't understand."

Ranma stifled another sigh. "Ryoga is P-chan."

"What?!" her mother went to stand up, only for her Ranma to clamp a hand around her wrist to stop her.

"You can't say anything!" Ranma hissed in a panic as every worst case scenario played out in her mind like a bad movie. "Akane will kill him and when she's finished roasting him up on a spit she'll come after me!"

"And she would be justified," Nodoka argued angrily. "She lets him sleep with her!"

Ranma felt the muscles in jaw tighten painfully at the thought of that. In the past it had been because he was sleeping in the same bed as her fiancée; now she found herself getting irked at Akane for the same reason. Well...almost the same reason.

"I know," she managed finally through clenched teeth. "I don't like it either ok!"

Her mother gave her a scolding stare. "Why have you never told her?"

It took every ounce of will power she had not to throw her hands in the air in exasperation. "I have told her. I've tried dozens of times but every time she thought I was jealous because she was giving him all the attention or whatever. Ryoga has even tried to tell her but she's so damn clueless and stubborn; she never wants to listen. Besides that it's gotten to the point where she will absolutely lose it if she ever finds out the truth. But, it's not as if this is our fault," she explained defensively...before she looked down at the ground wearily. "But his curse is my fault."

Without needing to be asked to, she explained about the events that lead up to Ryoga falling into his cursed spring, her part in it and hardships he had to endure because of it, or at least the possibly over exaggerated hardships that Ryoga had told her back when he first showed up. She had tried many times to remember that day when she had supposably knocked him off the cliff trying to chase her pops down, but she couldn't even remember what she was chasing him down for.

"So I can't just out him like that," she said firmly. "His curse is at the very least partly my fault. And besides, you know how Akane gets; she won't even give us the chance to explain."

Her mother sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"She is rather volatile," Nodoka agreed thoughtfully. "Fine... I promise I won't say anything, for now, but this isn't something that can stay secret forever dear. Akane deserves to know the truth and you and Ryoga will just have to endure whatever happens next."

"I know," Ranma nodded softly. "Thank you."

A surge of relief unknotted the ball of panic in her chest. That would have been a disaster if her mother had outed Ryoga and caused a scene. Her mother wasn't wrong though, she couldn't even begin to think of how she would tell Akane the truth, not in any way that wouldn't end in screaming and arguments at least, if Akane didn't kill her first that was. As she had just said though, it wasn't like she hadn't tried to tell her the truth before. It wasn't her fault if she didn't listen.

She couldn't stop herself from grounding her teeth together in a withering scowl as she watched 'P-chan' burst out of the snow and startled the dark haired girl, before she giggled in amusement.

"I thought you just wanted to be friends for the time being?" Ranma looked around to find her mother smiling playfully. "You seem awfully put out that she's hogging all his attention, hmmm?"

The red head felt her cheeks grow warm as she tried to sink lower in her chair and hide her face.

"I did...I do!" she quickly added, and then she looked down at her feet shyly. "But, I can't help that it bugs me and it's not like I can run away from it either."

Her mother shook her head with a small sigh. "I have trouble understanding you sometimes dear. You like him, I know you do and then you find out that he likes you too, but instead of confronting him about it, you go and torture yourself more by trying to put some distance between the two of you. I think you've earned the right to be happy dear."

"It's not about being happy," Ranma replied quietly, before looking up with troubled eyes. "Yukino told you that every curse has some remnant of the personality of whoever or whatever drowned there originally."

Her mother's eyes darkened slightly. "You shouldn't worry about anything that awful woman said, she was a liar and a monster and not to be trusted."

"I know," Ranma said quickly. "But the fact is that she did bring out the remnant personality within my curse and I'm worried that what I'm feeling aren't my feelings at all. What if they're from _her_?"

There, she had said it. It had been bothering her for weeks; since Akari had come to see her. Try as she might to dismiss the doubts, they just wouldn't go away.

Nodoka smiled sympathetically. "Darling, I think what that woman put you through was enough leave anyone shaken, but I think in this case you might just be looking for excuses to problems that don't exist. I know the idea of having feelings for him scared you and I think that fear was easier to deal with when it was just a matter of you liking him. But, then you found out that he might have feelings for you and suddenly you had to deal with the very possibility of having your feelings returned and things progressing, and it scared you. I can understand how it could and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Even still, I think maybe it's time you fronted up to all this. You don't want to look back on this one day and regret what might have been because you let your fears and doubts get in the way."

Ranma sat there, listening and taking in what her mother said, and letting her mind process it. Her mother was probably right as she usually was and her advice was typically spot on too. Maybe she was over thinking it. She had certainly been excited enough when Akari had filled her in on what happened, but soon after the girl had left the doubts and anxiety followed and they wouldn't leave her be. She knew the hesitation was going to drive her nuts if she didn't figure it out soon.

"I never thought anything would pull Ryoga and Akari apart. Despite his crush on Akane I always thought he and Akari would be together forever, and now they're not," she said softly. "What if we were to get together and somewhere down the track, something came between us too?"

Her mother gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Those are the risks anyone takes when they start a relationship honey. There will always be what ifs that can ruin everything. The trick is overcoming them, but you'll never know if you don't try. Some things are meant to be, others aren't and some are forged with time and experience."

Ranma gave her mother a look of mixed admiration and helplessness.

"How do you do that?" she asked. "How do you make something so confusing make so much sense?"

Nodoka smile widened slightly with amusement. "With time and experience dear, time and experience."

Ranma grinned a little, before turning back and watching Akane and P-chan playing. Maybe she did need to front up to what she was feeling, before she lost her chance altogether...

"You've definitely come a long way," her mother nudged her teasingly. "First you didn't even want to admit you had feelings for him and now you're jealous he's spending more time with another girl. It's so adorable."

"Mom!" Ranma's cheeks went bright red with horror.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. He's a fine young man," her mother with feigned seriousness. "Why if I was twenty years younger-"

"Stop it!" Ranma's hands flew to her ears as she cut her mother off in mid sentence and desperately blocked her out; there were some things she just did not need - nor want - to hear.

Her mother couldn't help but chuckle at her distress, even as Ranma pouted in bright red faced embarrassment. She patted her on the shoulder apologetically.

"I'm sorry dear," she said finally, staring at her fondly; though Ranma suspected her mother's apology wasn't quiet as sincere as it was meant to sound. "I just want you to enjoy yourself and stop worrying. I know what happened with Happosai has got you down and you're worried about the school, but you'll come back from it in time. That's something to worry about for another day. Right now I just want you to focus on having some fun with your friends and try to relax. If you try not to stress too much about a problem, a solution might just present itself when you least expect it. For now though sweetie, just have fun."

Ranma gave her a doubtful look, wanting to argue, but she knew there was no point. Her mother was right. It wouldn't kill her to at least try and have some fun she supposed; it wasn't as if she was being asked to go clothes shopping. She may as well make as much of the trip as possible before she had to go back to Nerima.

Ranma forced a reluctant smile. "Ok..."

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The noise of the resort was only a dull and distance sound as the three girls approached the edge of the slope. The slope angled down sharply and further down the trail disappeared amongst a large cluster of trees, that extended pretty far before the trail emerged on the other side again. Behind them the mountain climbed higher, but it was impossible for anyone to actually get any higher without climbing gear, but other than for the sake climbing it, there was no need to go higher than where they found themselves. As she peered down the slope alongside Akane and Nabiki, Ranma had to wonder how these two had gotten so good at skiing; the steep angle of the slope didn't faze them in the slightest.

"This one looks like fun," Nabiki decided with her devil may care attitude. "What do you think sis?"

Akane didn't seem to hear her as she stared off into space.

"Hello, earth to Akane," Ranma waved her hand in front of the girl's face to grab her attention.

Akane blinked in surprise. "What? Oh. Yeah, this slope looks fine."

Ranma raised an eye brow. "What were you just thinking about so intently?"

"I was just thinking about P-chan," she admitted anxiously. "I haven't seen him since earlier and I'm worried about him. I hope he's not cold."

Ranma and Nabiki shared the same expression, rolling their eyes at her oblivious nature. How she hadn't made the connection between P-chan and Ryoga after all this was nothing short of amazing really, given all the near misses and subtle hints Ranma had dropped in all the time she had know about his secret.

"He'll turn up, he always does," Ranma brushed her concern off dismissively.

"I hope so," Akane added worriedly.

Ranma rolled her eyes discreetly; if she only knew just how fine her wayward 'pig' would be.

Nabiki mercifully steered the conversation away as she stared down the slope. "What do you say we make this last run a bit more interesting?"

Ranma couldn't help but narrow her eyes suspiciously. "Do you know that whenever you say 'more interesting' a pair of red horns and a pointy tail sprout from your body?"

"What's wrong Saotome?" the middle sister grinned cat like at the serious red head. "Afraid to make a little wager with moi? I'm hurt... or is it that wittle Ranma's scared of something else? That's ok, I understand. Some of these slopes can be a bit pretty scary."

Even as she met Nabiki's challenging smirk, Ranma glared dangerously as her jaw tightened painfully. She was all too aware of Nabiki's many tricks and she refused to be goaded by the money hungry witch.

"Come on," Nabiki continued persistently. "The last one to the bottom buys lunch for a month. You're not afraid to lose are you Saotome?"

"Nabiki!" Akane scolded her sister disapprovingly. "You know Ranma's no good at gambling. Stop trying to take advantage of her."

Nabiki sighed dramatically and not at all convincingly. "Alright, fine. It would be like stealing candy from a helpless baby I suppose..."

Ranma huffed indignantly as her petty competitiveness got the better of her. "Fine! It's not like you stand a chance of beating me anyway!"

"Oh really?" Nabiki raised an eye brow as she placed her hands on her hips. "Then if you're so sure of yourself how about we raise the stakes?"

Ranma felt her body twitch uneasily. "What have you got in mind?"

The middle Tendo sister smiled eerily, sending cold shivers through the red head's spine that had nothing to do with the freezing cold around the three of them.

"If you lose, not only do you have to buy lunch for the both of us for a month..." Nabiki's eyes twinkled mischievously as she paused for effect. "You have to wear the girl's uniform to school for the rest of the year, and you have to wear your hair out!"

Ranma's eyes practically popped out of her head as she stared at the devious young woman with growing horror. The image that it evoked in her mind made her shudder. With her hair let out, and wearing a dress - even the unflattering Furinkan High school uniform - she would look disturbingly feminine. She could already picture the adoring looks and harassment she would receive if Kuno saw her.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'll agree to that!" Ranma replied in disgust, shuddering violently and her skin crawling at the mere thought of it.

Nabiki smiled like she had already won, shrugging with a thick air of superiority about her. "Well if you're not sure about your chances just admit you're all talk."

A silence thick with tension descended over them as Ranma clenched her jaw tightly as she stared at the arrogantly smug young woman and Akane looked back and forth between the both of them. Inwardly Ranma cursed herself for having such a huge mouth; she knew Nabiki was a manipulative schemer and still she walked herself straight into a trap. If she backed out now she would only look like a coward, but she knew she could win...

...unless, she thought with a worrying sense of dread, Nabiki had sabotaged her skies and planned all this from the beginning.

Ranma sucked in a deep breath and pushed aside her all her fears. "Fine, but if I win you have to buy lunch for us for the rest of the school year and you have to use your own money. You can't extort the money out of anyone else."

Nabiki flinched a little, but she did a good job of controlling the smug expression on her face, standing her ground firmly. Ranma saw the wariness in her eyes though. If it was one thing she could count on, it was for Nabiki to take the potential loss of her own money seriously.

"Ok," the middle sister agreed, her voice slightly tighter than normal; no doubt her pride was at odds with her greed. "You have a deal."

Akane rolled her eyes at the both of them and shook her head.

The three of them lined up at the top of the old and slightly over grown slope, staring down at the long winding trail. It was obvious that the slope hadn't been used for a long time; it wasn't even on any of the maps provided by the resort staff, they had found the path leading up to it by accident. Absently Ranma wondered at the back of her mind why it wasn't the map.

Though she wouldn't readily admit it, she felt a slight surge of excitement as they readied themselves. It hadn't really expected to enjoy herself with all that had happened hanging over her head but, this was fun! Spending the last couple hours just skiing with Akane and Nabiki and putting everything aside for the time being was great. It would all come crashing back down when they had to go back to Nerima, but for the moment Happosai, the dojo's, Ryoga, none of it mattered in the slightest.

Although the fear of having to wear a dress for the rest of the school year terrified her to no end...

She couldn't let Nabiki win!

Ranma glanced over to see Akane looking back over her shoulder, frowning quizzically.

"What's wrong Akane?"

The girl shook her head a little. "It's nothing. I just thought I heard something weird is all. I must be starting to get tired," as she said that her stomach grumbled, very loudly. Her face turned bright red as Ranma and Nabiki grinned in amusement.

"And hungry it sounds," Ranma smirked.

"Shut up," Akane snapped lightly in embarrassment. "Let's go!"

Without warning she was off, zipping down the slope before either of them could blink.

"Hey, no fair!" Nabiki shouted as she followed quickly.

Ranma's eyes hardened with determination as she took a deep breath, her entire body tensing tightly; with one powerful push she planned to shoot ahead of both of them. She would make them eat their words.

"Ranma?"

The red head yelped in alarm and lost her balance, falling flat on her ass. She tilted her head backwards to find Ryoga standing there blinking down at her in surprise, which rapidly melted into relief.

"I am so glad to see you," he said with such sincerity that Ranma felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks colour slightly. "I've been wondering around lost for ages, trying to find my way back."

And like that the warm glow in her chest was replaced with ice.

"What are you doing up here?" she demanded with increasing irritation.

"Some kids thought it would be funny to throw me into a hot spring," Ryoga grunted in embarrassment. "I've been trying to find my way back for ages. I was lucky to find these clothes before I wondered too far from the resort. Then a few minutes ago I heard voices and came looking. I was hoping to find someone to lead me back to the cabin, I didn't think I would find you here."

With her hands on her hips Ranma huffed in annoyance. "Yeah I bet you can't wait to get back."

Ryoga frowned slightly. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means you like being a pampered pet!" the red head snapped angrily.

The dark haired teenager blinked with growing confusion. "What's wrong with you?"

Ranma spat in disgust. "I'll tell you what's wrong. You still pretending to be a real little pig around Akane, that's what's wrong. She needs to know the truth."

Ryoga gawked at her like she had suddenly grown another head, spluttering slightly, speechless. "Have you gone completely insane? You know what she'll do if she finds out!"

"You just like all the attention you get from Akane and all her clueless friends," she crossed her arms and glared accusingly. "And I'm sick of it."

Ryoga stared at her in silent confusion, his brain struggling to keep pace with her. Ranma just stood her ground, with a challenging glint to her eyes, daring him to argue with her.

A challenge he answered.

"Well fine," he frowned in annoyance. "Why don't _you_ tell her then if it's that simple?"

Ranma couldn't answer and he knew it, and that only made her glare deepen with fierce and dangerous intensity.

"Exactly! You know she'll go ballistic if she ever finds out so why would you-" Ryoga paused abruptly, staring at her when his eyes widened abruptly. "You're jealous!"

Ranma's eyes widened dramatically as her cheeks flushed in horrified embarrassment as her mouth opened and closed rapidly with shock. "No! I'm not you arrogant jack ass! I-I-I'm just...I'm just...you know what, you can do whatever the hell you want! I've got a race to lose damn it!"

She turned and tried to storm off as indignantly as she could with skies attached to her feet, and failed miserably; her cheeks burned as she imagined the look of amusement on his face.

She'd only taken a couple of steps when all of a sudden a loud vibrating rumble through the mountain loudly. Ranma stopped wearily, her eyes darting around wildly.

Then the ground opened up beneath her feet and she dropped out of sight with a scream.

"Ranma!" Ryoga rushed forward in a panic as the rumbling grew.

He had only taken a couple of steps when a sharp crack tore the ground open under him and dropped him into a black abyss. As time seemed to slow around him, the last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed them both, was a wall of snow crashing down the mountain towards them.

...

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...

...

Pain was the first thing that broke through the wall of unconsciousness and dragged him back to the world of the living. Not bad incapacitating pain, but aches bad enough to feel worse than they actually were. Ryoga groaned as he shifted slowly, reluctantly forcing his eyes open gradually and blinking with disorientation. He felt like he had been thrown inside a washing machine and spat back out; it took several long minutes before he realized he was half buried in the snow, on his back and staring up at ceiling of darkness broken only by faint patterns of light that criss-crossed it.

Then his eyes widened and he lurched up into a sitting position as it all came rushing back to him into a sudden burst of realization.

"Ranma!" he gasped.

He jumped up in spite of his aches and shrugging off the cold stiffness in his limbs and joints. He stumbled forward like a drunken sailor, legs threatening to buckle beneath him from the sudden movement. His mind spun in a wild panic as his eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness that surrounded him like the dark of a nightmare that clung to him and made his limbs feel like lead weights.

"Ranma where are you!" he shouted, breathing heavily with worry.

He jumped in alarm when everything around him shook violently and dropped clumps of snow on him as he braced himself to keep his balance.

"Urrrgggh"

Ryoga spun around. "Ranma!"

Another muffled groan came out of the darkness; it took him a few more seconds before his eyes adjusted and he saw the arm sticking out from a pile of snow a dozen or so feet away. Without wasting any time he dashed over and started clearing away snow until he uncovered her crimson topped head.

"Ranma," he said loud and sharply as he scooped away more snow. "Ranma, can you hear me? Wake up!"

He gave her a little shake, holding his breath as his heart pounded in a panic gripped frenzy. Fear gnawed maddeningly at him as he stared down at her limp form, silently urging her to wake, to part her eyes or twitch a finger, anything to give him any signs that she was alive.

And then suddenly she groaned and started to stir, as if answering his prayers. Ryoga let out an explosive sigh of relief, but his heart continued to race like a prize winning racehorse.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and blinked a couple of times as she stared straight up in the same confused and disorientated manner he had just moments ago. All of a sudden she gasped and hissed sharply, wincing as she tried to get her bearings.

"What happened?" she managed tightly. "Where are we?"

"The ground we were standing on became unstable. It looks like it dropped us in some sort of cavern." Ryoga glanced around the dark surroundings, trying to pierce the blackness and make sense of all the shapes he could just make out all around them. "I think it also caused an avalanche. That was the last thing I remember seeing before I was knocked out."

Ranma sighed irritably. "Great."

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm peachy," the red head grunted as she took a deep breath and tried to sit up.

"Here let me help," Ryoga said as he grasped her by the waist.

Ranma screamed without warning and shoved him away.

Falling on his ass Ryoga snapped at her sharply. "What was that for!"

His anger quickly melted away when he saw that she had curled up, hugging her mid section with her knees drawn as high as possible and making grimacing noises that weren't nearly as quiet she thought they were.

"Ranma, what's wrong!" he demanded seriously.

She hissed through tightly clenched teeth. "Nothing! I'm fine."

"No you're not you little fool," he snapped, more out of annoyance than anything else. "Let me see."

Before she had time to protest he pulled her jacket open and lifted the side of her shirt just enough to find a massive dark bruise spread across her side, right over her ribs. All around the dark patch though were other bruises in the late stages of healing. It took him a few seconds before he realized they were from her fight with Happosai. Just the mere thought of the little troll ignited a white hot fury within him. He promised if he ever got the chance he was going to make the old goat wish he was never born.

It was hard to tell just how bad the bruising was though in the darkness all around them. Hopefully, at most she had only aggravated the older injuries, but there was the very real possibility that she had broken a rib in the fall.

Ranma shrugged him away abruptly, biting back the pained hiss threatening to slip out.

"I'm fine," she said shortly and tried to get up and struggled to do so. With an irritated sigh she added. "Give me a hand."

Ryoga cocked an eye brow. "You sure? You don't want to grumble and growl and stubbornly do it yourself to prove a point?"

She shot him a look that would have made even Death weary.

"Just give me a hand," she told him coldly.

Grinning slightly at having made his point, Ryoga took her out stretched hand in his, and with the other grabbed her under her left arm and hoisted her up as though she was feather, ever aware of how tiny she was.

When he let go of her she gave a startled cry, falling back against him for support, cursing like a sailor.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She gritted her teeth. "It's my ankle, I think I twisted it the fall. It's throbbing like crazy."

Of course it was, Ryoga thought, sighing inwardly. Though it was a miracle neither of them has broken their damn necks with a fall like that, so he supposed he ought to be thankful they weren't injured really badly.

"Ok," Ryoga replied finally. "First things first, let's get you propped up somewhere so you don't make that foot any more worse than it already is, then I'll see about getting us out of here."

...

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...

The mood in the cabin was tense with silence.

Logs in the fireplace crackled and popped as dancing orange flames slowly ate away pieces of wood, occasionally shifting and cracking against one another and breaking the silence of the room if only for a few seconds. Akane and Shampoo paced and fidgeted anxiously, while Nabiki busied herself with a small notebook of her many marks and calculating over and over again money owed to her, but even Nabiki couldn't completely hide the anxiousness that showed in her eyes, not from Nodoka at least.

Nodoka sat back in the large, plush chair by the window, staring out at the rapidly darkening sky as night quickly approach, distorting the visibility of the glass with a layer of frost on the outside. Outwardly she was trying to project an aura of being calm and collected, but inwardly she felt her own worry gnawing away at her like a vindictive little rat chewing its way through a pipe.

It had been hours since Akane and Nabiki had returned, and explained that Ranma had disappeared. At first she wasn't worried. She had thought, given her conversation with Ranma earlier that morning that the red head was maybe still having a hard time putting everything aside and perhaps needed to be alone again for a little while. When Ranma hadn't returned in the hours that followed, Nodoka felt her concern increase rapidly. Every motherly instinct in her body was telling her that something wasn't right, but she didn't want to worry Akane or the other girls, bearing the weight of her own worry.

She couldn't help but notice that _P-chan_ was nowhere to be seen either...

"Auntie Saotome."

She looked up to find Kasumi standing beside her, the girl's warm and gentle smile was like a breath of fresh air.

The young woman handed her a steaming mug of hot tea. "You shouldn't worry too much, I'm sure Ranma is perfectly fine."

"Thank you dear," Nodoka smiled gratefully, ever in awe of Kasumi's seemingly infinite supply of compassion. "I know she'll be fine."

"That one is far more observant than she is given credit for," Cologne said calmly, as the young woman disappeared back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

Nodoka nodded in agreement. "That she is."

The porch veranda creaked loudly and a second later Genma and Soun walked in and shrugged off their heavy winter jackets. When Ranma failed to follow them in, Nodoka knew their search had turned up nothing, but the look of frustration on their faces was all she needed. Wearily, she sagged in the chair with a heavy sigh, question after question streaming into her head; but, they always came back to the same thing.

Where could Ranma be?

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...

The cavern was surprisingly large and deep, with smaller caves branching off it as odd angles; none of them going up unfortunately. The walls were sheer and glossy with a veneer of ice. It was dark, save for the weak fire that Ryoga had been able to start with what piddly few twigs had been carried down into the cavern with them; there was little chance that it would last for as long as they would need it to, not that it provided much warmth anyway, Ranma thought as she rubbed shoulders through her jacket. The cold made her ribs ache more, and her ankle didn't feel much better. Ryoga had bound it tight with a few of his seemingly endless supply of identical bandanas, and now it throbbed like it was trying to escape from its bindings.

It was, she would admit, a sweet gesture of his concern.

She glanced over where Ryoga tried over and over again to scale the walls with leaps and bounds, but they were too slippery and steep and the ceiling too high for him to make any progress, not that it stopped him from trying over and over again. He had been trying for hours and all he had succeeded in doing was causing more clumps of snow to fall in.

It was starting to give her a headache.

Without warning a chunk of ice smashed into the ground next to her, causing her to jump in alarm and hiss as more pain ran through her side.

"Would you stop jumping around like a jack ass!" she snapped. "You're going to get us both killed!"

Ryoga halted abruptly in mid jump and whirled around with a look of frustrated annoyance and ready to argue. It was quickly replaced though with concern when he saw her struggling with the pain that twister her features. She almost wished he had started arguing; it would have been better than having him stare at her like some fragile broken bird.

"How's your side?" he asked gently as he crouched next to her and tried to lift her shirt to check.

Ranma swatted his hand away angrily. "I'm fine."

Ryoga frowned. "Why won't you let me help? I just want to check."

She refused to look at him, grumbling petulantly.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you tagging along as P-chan," she replied irritably. "And now I'm gonna have to wear a dress to school for the rest of the year!"

Ryoga blinked in confusion, trying to figure out what one had to do with the other. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the beginnings of a headache.

"How is this, my fault? You're the one that started arguing with me," he pointed out defensively. "I just wanted help getting back to the resort. As for the P-chan thing, I tried getting away from her before we left Nerima, but she wouldn't let me out of her sight."

"Oh I bet you tried real hard," she rolled her eyes, knowing how easy it would be for him to get away if he really wanted to.

"You're being unreasonable," he told her flatly. "If you want to be this way though fine, but you're hurt, we're stuck her together and whether you like it or not I'm all you've got right now. So stop acting like a spoilt brat and let me check your side."

Again she refused to look at him.

"Either you let me, or I pin you down and check it anyway," he told her seriously, much to her alarm. "It's your choice."

She glared daggers at him, knowing he would.

"Fine!" she relented in frustration as she unzipped her jacket in a huff.

Taking his victory in silence with a small smirk, he pulled the side of her shirt up; a little too far up. Ranma slapped his hand away and gave him accusing stare. If he had pulled it up any further it would have been up over her head.

He threw his hands up exasperation. "What is your problem? It's not like I haven't seen you naked plenty of times before you know. You've even gone of your way to make me see you naked!"

Ranma's cheeks turned deep crimson and felt hot enough to melt the ice around them as she looked away.

"That was then, this is now," she replied meekly.

Ryoga stared at her in silence before shaking his head, giving up on trying to figure out what was going on inside her head.

Once again he slowly pulled the side of her shirt up, this time more aware of her new found modesty. Neither of them said anything as he checked her over. She knew he was just being careful but really beside the pain that occasionally throbbed through her; she knew there was nothing seriously wrong with. She just needed some quiet and rest to recover properly. It was going to take more than a little fall to take her out that was for sure.

Suddenly he was feeling along her ribs, gently and with exceptional tenderness; but, the sudden contact was like a jolt of electricity that shot through her. Then without warning she slapped him, sending him reeling as she pulled her jacket shut.

"Would you stop that!" he snapped, more out of frustration than pain.

She gritted her teeth at the pulling pain of moving so suddenly. "Then keep your hands to yourself buddy!"

Ryoga merely frowned flatly at her and after a couple of deep breaths he said. "I think it's just bad bruising. If you weren't acting like such a child I could check properly. I would still feel better if we could get you checked by a doctor though."

Ranma's jaw tightened with slight irritation at his worry for her, making it sounds as if she was incapable of deciding for herself. Part of her, the reasonable even minded fair part of her knew that wasn't what he intended and was simply concerned as she may have been for him were the tables turned; but, that part of her was losing the an ongoing struggle with her pride and ego and the fact that she didn't want or need his concern or to be treated like fragile glass. Even now he looked at her as if he might break her with but a touch.

He turned away and glanced upwards. "Maybe I could blast our way out..."

Ranma rolled her eyes.

"Yeah maybe you ca-" her eyes widened suddenly in horror. "No wait!"

She threw herself at him even as the dark blue energy started to gather around him. The red head screamed as she crashed into him and fiery pain lanced through her side and up her ankle, even as they fell to the ground.

"Ranma!" Ryoga yelled half angry half panicking. "What the hell are you trying to do!?"

Snarling back the pain she glared at him furiously. "You idiot! You were going to use the _Shishi Hokodan_, weren't you!?"

Ryoga frowned in exasperation. "Yes, I was going to blow a hole in the ceiling."

"And you would have killed us in the process you great big oath! The cave is unstable you baka! There is tons of snow and ice above us, did you stop to think about that?" she screeched as she punched him in the shoulder, her chest heaving hard with hissing breaths. "Even if you did blast a hole in the ceiling and didn't cause all of this to collapse in on us, you can't jump high enough to get out and you're not fast enough to destroy every piece of rubble with your damn breaking point, which wouldn't matter anyway because you would cause an avalanche and bury us alive!"

Ryoga's cheeks flushed with annoyance and embarrassment; clearly he hadn't stop to think about it, deciding instead to blunder his way into a situation like he normally did. She glared down at him, practically daring him to tell her she was wrong, to tell her she was overreacting; but, he didn't.

Then suddenly, he glanced away self consciously. "Um...Ranma...do you mind?"

"Huh?" Ranma frowned.

It took a few moments before she realized she was staring down at him, and a couple of seconds more before she realized she was straddling his hips and their faces were only a handful of inches apart, close enough that they could feel each other's breath. Instantly her cheeks coloured pink and her heart hammered in her chest. With a panic she scooted away from him, ignoring the agonizing pain in her side as she put several feet between them and she looked away in embarrassment; how Ukyo and Shampoo could be so forward all the time she would never know.

"Sorry..." she said in a small, awkward voice.

Scratching the back of his head with equal awkwardness, Ryoga replied. "It's ok..."

The silence that followed was just as bad as they tried to avoid each other's gaze, but they couldn't help buy steal brief quick glances from the corners of their eyes, trying to gauge what the other was going to do next.

Clearing his throat, Ryoga broke the silence. "At least everyone should be looking for you by now."

Ranma, still not ready to meet his gaze simply replied. "Maybe..."

Inwardly she frowned though; she doubted the idea that she had fallen into a cavern would even occur to anyone, especially if the avalanche had erased all trace of their tracks around the area. They were going to be stuck there for a while if they didn't think of something. She winced as she gingerly tested the pain in her side; not that they had many options, if any at all.

"It's getting dark," Ryoga noted absently as he stared at the fading cracks of faint light in the ceiling of ice and snow. "They'll definitely be looking by now."

Despite their pathetic fire and the winter clothing she was wearing, Ranma couldn't help but shiver noticeably as the cold saturated her clothes and worked its way into her skin.

"That's good," she muttered. "So long as we don't freeze to deat- AAAIIIIEEEE!"

Ranma shrieked as Ryoga suddenly and gently scooped her up in his arms, like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold.

"Put me down!" she demanded in high pitched panic, struggling uselessly. "Right now or I swear you're going to get it."

"Or you'll do what?" Ryoga replied challengingly. "Hold your breath and stamp your feet till you get what you want?"

"I'll put my foot up your ass first!" she hissed dangerously.

Her threats fell on deaf ears however, and her struggles were limited by her bruised ribs and throbbing foot. She could only sit there and impotently let him carry her over to the wall, where he sat down and leant back against it with her cradled in her arms and sitting across his lap.

"Stop being so childish," he said finally. "We need to stay warm, you especially since you're so small and have so little body fat, which is incredible with the way you eat by the way."

Ranma shot him a dark glare.

He coughed and added quickly. "Anyway, this is the easiest way to stay warm given the situation and you know it, so stop being so stubborn and accept it, unless you want to freeze to death."

Ranma felt her cheeks grow hot with a wild blush, as her struggles slowly faded and she reluctantly accepted her fate, knowing there was no point in fighting him; even if she wasn't hurting she stood no chance of overcoming Ryoga's raw strength. That aside, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Staying warm was the most important thing at this point and as embarrassed as she was, this was the best way to do it since their piddly little fire wasn't going to do the job.

She refused to look him in the eye though; just because it made sense didn't mean she had to like it.

Her body was stiff with nervousness at being so close to him as she fidgeted anxiously with her hands held close to her chest, not knowing where to put them and she couldn't relax, she was so tense. She knew from all outside appearances that it must have looked like the most adorable scene, which caused her to wail helplessly at her predicament and prayed no one ever saw her like this; she would never live this down if Nabiki got pictures of them.

She wanted to crawl under a rock.

"You'll pay for this," she warned. It was an empty threat but it made her feel better regardless.

With his eyes closes as if he was asleep, Ryoga replied. "Shut up and be grateful for a change."

Ranma huffed indignantly and glared impotently at the ground.

She didn't understand why being so close to him like this affected her the way it did. It wasn't like she hadn't been held or carried by guys before, Ryoga amongst them, though she wasn't sure Kuno's blatant attempts to cop a feel really counted but never had she felt so strongly affected as she had in the last few weeks. Whenever he touched, it was like she was being sucked back into that damn forest again and subjected to her fevered self's feelings for the first time all over again. Why she reacted so strongly now didn't make a single lick of sense to her; just because she had feelings for him didn't mean she needed, or necessarily wanted him to hold her like some crystal bird that could break at any moment. She wasn't vulnerable and she didn't want to be treated like she was.

And yet, it was hard to ignore the fact that a simple touch sent a small tingling bolt of strange excitement through her body.

It was even harder to accept that some part of her liked it.

And that was the real problem. For all her claims of having feelings for this boy, who had been her rival only a few months earlier she didn't know how to let them out. She was scared of making a fool of herself, which was funny in and of itself given all the stupid and embarrassing things she had done on a whim, or to make a point. Letting those feelings out though, those genuine feelings, was terrifying in a way she couldn't describe. Not to mention she had no idea where all this was heading. So she liked him, and he maybe liked her. So what then? Did that mean they dated? And how would that work if they did? She didn't know how to be a girlfriend of all things.

It was so absurd that she would have laughed if she wasn't so confused.

For the first time in her life, she felt like she was way in over her head.

Her eyes darted all over the place as she sat there, wrapped in his arms, and stealing glances at his impassive face. She kept flashing back to the meal she had shared the other week with him. It had been nice, normal and not at all stressful, save for a little awkwardness at first, but that was to be expected. She had enjoy it though, enjoyed the company and yes, part of her had enjoyed the satisfaction of having him praise her cooking as so few had, but then again few even knew she could cook as well as she did. That little encounter though, had unwittingly revealed a brief glimpse of a possible, if unlikely future.

It had been strangely pleasant...

Something she hadn't expected.

Ranma took a deep breath, and hesitantly forced herself to relax. It was going to be a long night and she didn't want to spend it painfully tensed up. Slowly her muscles relaxed almost as if she were easing herself into a hot bath. Soon she found herself resting her head against his chest, eyes still darting wearily all over the place like she expected the world to suddenly explode. Almost immediately she felt the stiff crick in her neck begin to fade now that she wasn't trying to imitate a statue; she was loath to admit it, but she was surprisingly comfortable...

Already she felt a measure of warmth seeping in from his stolen jacket.

Biting her lower lip she stole away her nerves.

"Thank you," she murmured without looking up.

"Was that so hard?" he cracked open an eye to glance down at her, half grinning. "Comfortable?"

She frowned, feeling her cheeks start to burn. "I'm only going along with this because I have to. When I can move properly again I'm going to make you so sorry."

"Un huh," he replied casually. "You're welcome by the way."

"Don't push it," she huffed.

Time crawled by agonizingly slow, ticking by like each second was an hour. Days seemed to pass as they sat there in the flickering, dancing light of their wanning fire. They said nothing, the silence broken only by their breathing, a constant almost rhythmic drip that echoed out from one of the other caves and the faint crackle of the flames before them. Ranma felt drowsiness stalking the back of her eyes, but she fought the heavy tempting pull of sleep. She didn't want to sleep, not just yet at least, tempting as it was; she just wanted to stay as she was for a while longer, even if she didn't completely understand why. She was comfortable and relaxed and she hadn't had many of these moments that she would pass up the opportunity to enjoy it for as long as possible.

"Why did you get so angry with me on the slope?" Ryoga asked suddenly, calmly.

Ranma stared ahead, stifling a sigh. "I already told you."

He did sigh. "I think I deserve some real answers Ranma. I know this doesn't have anything to do with me being P-chan, so I think I deserve to know what I did wrong."

Now it was Ranma's turn to sigh. She saw no way out of this without starting another argument and she didn't want to spend however long they were going to be trapped down here fighting with one another. It wasn't fair to take her insecurities out on him though.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked with slight exasperation.

"Ranma," he said with dwindling patience. "Stop playing around and give me a straight answer. Just last week you tell me you just want to be friends and move past the whole arguing thing, but you've been giving me dirty looks since before Happosai showed up and then you all but took a swing at me on the slope. It's like we're back to square one again, fighting and arguing every time we see each other. Is that what you want? Because I'm really trying to understand, but you're n-"

"Because I made a mistake!" she snapped.

The silence that followed was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Her face burning and her eyes squeezed shut, she cursed with embarrassment and begged whatever kami were listening to strike her dead now before he looked down at her. Why, she wailed inwardly, did she always let herself get pushed into blurting out her problems in frustration? This wasn't how she planned having this conversation... or it wouldn't have been if she'd actually had time to plan on having it; but if she had, it sure as hell wouldn't have been when she was trapped in a damn ice cave with him and no way to escape.

"What?" Ryoga asked in confusion. "W-what mistake?"

Ranma sighed heavily in defeat.

"About wanting to be just friends..." she replied softly.

"So...everything you told me was what, a lie?" he was clearly confused. "I don't think I understand."

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't a lie. Not all of it at least. Well I didn't think it was at the time."

"What do you mean?"

Ranma stared at her fidgeting hands. "I was scared."

Ryoga pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation as he tried to follow her. "Scared of what."

She played with her fingers, embarrassed.

"Akari came and saw me..." she explained calmly.

Ryoga's entire body suddenly tensed at the mention of that name, colour drain from his face.

"O-oh?" was all he managed to get out, and even that came out as a near breathless croak that despite the situation almost made her chuckle.

"I know you two broke," she added, before she allowed a small smile to form on her lips. "And why..."

If it was at all possible, Ryoga seemed to turn to stone in shock. Ranma, amused as she was reeled herself in a bit.

"When she told me about what happened...and what you said, I think I started to freak out a little," she admitted bashfully. "I was happy...but at the same time it scared me. All of it. So I convinced myself that the best thing to do was to slow down and distance myself, and try to figure out what was going on in my head. I wasn't lying about wanting to get my head on straight, but I thought I could handle putting my feelings aside for awhile... and I couldn't. Every time I saw you playing make believe with Akane... Well it bugged me alright. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't..."

Ryoga didn't respond, shock still coursing through him.

Ranma took a deep breath to summon the rest of her courage and asked hesitantly. "Do you...Do you have feelings for me?"

The question caught him by surprise.

"I, um, ah... I m-mean, you see I-I-I," he stammered wildly, his voice cracking in panic and his cheeks flushing with colour.

When Ranma glanced up, she was met with a familiar sight as he stumbled his way through a response, a sight she had only seen when he couldn't untangle his tongue around Akane. She felt a strange glow of smug satisfaction inside her at that knowledge; that she could elicit the same reaction was extremely satisfying.

Ryoga stopped all of a sudden and took a deep breath to collect himself when the stuttering and stumbling became too much. Ranma couldn't help but grin wildly on the inside at his reaction, suddenly remembering why it was so fun to torment and tease him. For all his tough talk, Ryoga really was very innocent; but, on that last count she wasn't really that much better when it came to her own feelings, so she wasn't in any position to judge.

Ryoga shrugged shyly. "Yes..."

Though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer, having him say it with such blunt honesty was still enough to reignite the blush that spread quickly across her cheeks. She hadn't counted on how hearing him admit it would hit her. Slowly a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she looked down quickly before he could see.

"Actually," he continued. "The other week I decided to tell you... but, then you said about wanting to take a step back and I thought it was better that I didn't say anything."

Ranma was silent for the longest time as she looked up in shock.

And then she burst into a fit of laughter.

She shook her head in disbelief as she laughed; figures she thought inwardly. She suddenly felt like the biggest idiot, thinking how easily she had managed to sabotage herself, out of fear of the unknown, only to wind up here, barely a couple of weeks later. Now here she was, trapped in an ice cave, doing what she should have done then.

"Our timing really sucks," she laughed, genuinely amused even as she inwardly scolded herself for putting it off until now. If she had just been honest with herself, she could have avoided this whole mess.

"It really does," Ryoga smiled in agreement; at least he didn't think she had gone nuts.

Amused as she was though, her laughter quickly faded, leaving only faint echoes bouncing through a limitless network of caves and tunnels. She sobered quickly as the full weight of the revelation bore down on her, threatening to crush her as she tried to regain her wits.

"W-what do we do now?" she asked, trying not to sound as pensive as she felt.

"I don't know," Ryoga admitted honestly.

Ranma crossed her arms pointedly and said firmly. "I won't be some sort of sweet and doting girlfriend."

She wanted that clear, so there were no misunderstandings later.

Ryoga screwed up his face slightly. "Good, because that would be weird."

"You got that right," she nodded

"Besides, I already know what you're like as a doting girlfriend," he added an involuntary shudder. "That koi rod turned you crazy."

Ranma felt the heat of a blush rise in her cheeks. "We agreed never to talk about that!"

Uncertainty silenced them as they tried to make sense of the strange and unexpected turn of events they found themselves in. Neither of them had exactly seen things turning this way. Now here they were, their brains trying to process it all.

"So..." Ranma hesitated, her voice soft and hesitant. "What _do_ we do?"

"What do you want to do?" Ryoga returned the question easily.

She shook her head. "I don't know either. I never really thought about what would happen if we managed to get to this point. Kinda stupid huh? Especially after all the drama leading up to now."

"Neither did I," the dark haired boy nodded.

Ranma couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head. "Jeez, we really are a pair aren't we?"

"We don't have to figure it out right now," he pointed out calmly. "We should get some rest."

She nodded slightly in agreement with him, feeling the inviting lure of sleep. Her eye lids felt heavy and her body and mind exhausted. It felt like a million years since she had last slept and her stomach growled insistently, as if she were hiding food from it. Yes, sleep sounded like the greatest thing in the world right at that moment. She closed her eyes and let her head settle into a comfortable spot against his shoulder, and grateful sigh her body relaxed.

She frowned slightly when she felt something digging into the side of her hip and wriggled about to get comfortable, but the pressure was still there...

... Suddenly her eyes flew up and blinked a couple of times, her cheeks colouring.

"Ryoga," she said calmly.

"Hmmm?" he murmured in drowsiness.

She chose her words very carefully. "If you don't put P-chan back in the pen, I'm gonna snap it off."

The seconds ticked by in uncomfortable silence as they both flushed in embarrassment.

Ryoga shifted suddenly and coughed uncomfortably.

"Sorry..."

...

...

...

...

...

The sky was clear and without the light of the city to hide them, the stars had come out to play, turning the black canvas of night into a carnival of twinkling lights. With spring only a week or so away, the sky seemed to be clearer more often and snow was becoming more and more infrequent with each passing day. Even at the ski resort it was easy to spot signs of the impending change in the weather, where snow had been worn away, revealing patches of dead grass and slurries of mud. Akane stared up at the stars with a troubled expression, praying that spring would bring with it a happier season and respite from the near constant drama of the last couple of months. Winter had been so trying, so much had happened and Ranma had copped the most it in all that time; now all this was happening and she didn't know if she should be worried or not.

"You're up awfully late."

Akane whirled around to find Ranma's mother standing there. "Mrs Saotome, I didn't wake you did I?"

"No dear," the older woman replied gently. "I'm not sure any of us are really able to sleep tonight, despite our confidence in Ranma's ability to overcome adversity."

Akane nodded in understanding as Mrs Saotome joined her at the railing. She had only known Ranma for a couple of years, but it had quickly became apparent that the cocky and often arrogant ass of a martial artist possessed the ability to conquer anything he put his mind to. Despite her worry, it was hard to imagine that Ranma was in any situation she couldn't easily come out on top of. Even Mrs Saotome didn't seem as anxious as she had earlier; in fact she seemed much more like her normal calm and gentle self. It was strangely reassuring at the moment.

"I'm sure we don't need to be concerned," Nodoka said suddenly. "Call it a mother's intuition, or whatever you will, I'm confident she's safe wherever she is."

"I hope so," Akane replied, with a slight sigh. "I just can't stop thinking about it. It doesn't make any sense that she would just disappear like that though, not willingly and not after making that bet with Nabiki. At the very least she should have been right behind us but there wasn't a single trace of her when we went back up looking for her. I thought maybe she'd fallen and hurt herself or something, as unlikely as that sounds, but there was just nothing."

Nodoka placed a hand on one of the teenagers own, and smiled reassuringly. "It will be dawn in a couple of hours and we'll continue the search then, but worrying yourself to death now isn't going to help Ranma any."

Akane nodded slightly; Mrs Saotome was right, there wasn't any point in worry. Ranma had to be fine, surely. For all they knew she had gotten lost trying to take a shortcut to beat Nabiki and ended up getting lost. She was probably hauled up in a cave somewhere muttering and cursing to herself for making _any_ bet with Nabiki let alone one that would cause her so much grief; but then again Akane had long suspected Ranma was simply a glutton for punishment.

Even as the thought tugged the corners of her mouth into a small smile of amusement, she knew there was no way that had happened. Ranma after all wasn't Ryoga and wouldn't get lost _that_ easily; it helped to imagine that was the case though, to waylay her concerns.

Deep in thought, Akane leant against the railing at the snow covered ground a few feet below them, following the tracks in the white powdery ice made by the skies of someone passing by earlier. The teenager blinked a couple of times, her brow furrowing in confusion, before looking up and peering in the direction of the slope Ranma had disappeared on.

Then suddenly, a light flipped on in her head.

"_There was no trace of her,"_ her own words echoed in her mind as realization made her eyes widen slightly. "_But there should have been!"_

...

...

...

...

...

She wasn't sure how long she slept for, time seemed to cease in the darkness of the cave, but she knew was the most peaceful and content sleep she'd had in a very long time. The cold linger about them, but she was comfortable and cosy where she was, oblivious to the trail of drool that dribbled from the corner of her mouth and dampened a patch of Ryoga's shirt, or the small snot bubble that expanded and retreated with each soft snore. Her dreams were filled with things that had once horrified and sickened at the mere of them, but now they didn't seem quite as bad as she had previously imagined.

Those dreams quickly began to fade as the waking world intruded upon that of the sleeping one; soon all that would remain would vague fragments embedded in her subconscious, leaving her with a sense of peace.

"Ranma!"

The red head was reluctantly drawn from her sleep at the sound her name calling out to her, dull and far away though it was she heard it all the same. Her eyes resisted opening and her body whined in protest to stay asleep; it was too cold and she was comfortable and relaxed where she was, snuggled against the warmth of the jacket and the arms that held her close as she listened to the rhythmic beat of his heart through his chest. It was a convincing enough reason to stay where she was, but she knew she couldn't, some part of her mind wouldn't let her and insistently urged her to wake up.

"Ranma!"

This time it was louder, but still muffled; loud enough though to pierce the last frayed barriers of sleep surrounding the red heads consciousness. Her eyes slowly and reluctantly parted and blinked away the cobwebs of sleep, looking around in disorientated confusion as she yawned and tried to get her bearings. When she glanced up at the Ryoga's sleeping face, she felt her cheeks grow hot as she vaguely realized how close Ryoga was holding her. Sometime during the night, he had opened his oversized jacket and wrapped her within it, her crimson hair just peaking over the top of the jackets collar.

"Ranma! Can you hear me?"

With a jerk of surprise, the last vestiges of sleep fled and her eyes came wide away as she whipped her head up and around to stare at the darkened ceiling of their icy prison. She recognized the voice immediately.

"Pops?" she muttered in surprise.

"Ranma!"

That time she heard Akane's voice.

"Akane!" all at once she began to struggle in excitement, rousing Ryoga from his deep snoring slumber.

"What's going on?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Its Akane and Pops!" she all but shouted at him as she tried to force herself up and out of his arms. She shouted out as loud as she could. "Pops! Akane! We're down here!"

Wincing against the dull throbbing pain in her side and struggling to stand she kept calling out until her voice was nearly raw and her throat ached. The red practically fell out of Ryoga's lap in her attempt to stand, forcing herself up and nearly toppling over again as pain lanced up her injured ankle. Ryoga was there in a flash though, steadying her before she could face plant into the ground, forcing her to cling to him to keep her balance. She didn't even care at that moment that she needed to hang on to him; her heart was racing with excitement and desperation.

She heard her name shouted again and she replied in kind as she yelled out to them. Several long minutes of silence past as they stood there with bated breath, before chunks of snow fell from above and a beam of dull morning sunlight shot down through the hole, illuminating the cave around them.

"Ranma!" Akane was there, grinning wildly in excitement as Genma and Soun continued to carefully widen the hole. Then her eyes shifted and she tilted her head in surprise. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?"

After a few seconds of silence, Ranma couldn't help but laugh.

...

...

...

...

...

Cologne was not gentle as she wrapped and bound Ranma ankle.

"You're lucky you only sprained it," The old woman said as if she had fallen down the hole and injured herself on purpose.

"My ribs would disagree with you," Ranma grumbled dryly, before wincing uncomfortably. "Jeez, what is this gunk you put on them, it burns like crazy."

"It will help your ribs and ankle heal faster, that's all you need to worry about child," Cologne replied.

Ranma was sprawled comfortably on her cabin bed, wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket and wearing her PJ's, which she was embarrassed to admit were pink. Steam rose from a cup of hot tea on her bedside table, one of the Ghoul's concoctions she claimed would also help with healing and help her relax, but as far as she was concerned it smelt worse than a wet dog rolling around in its own filth. It smelt almost as bad as the poultice Cologne had smeared on her ribs and ankle before binding them.

She was the center of attention for the moment with her mother fussing over her and Akane alternated between hammering her with questions about what had happen and explaining about how she had realized what _must_ have happened to her when she disappeared. Even Nabiki had shown a rare, if not grudging moment of what she considered compassion by letting Ranma off the hook for the bet; Ranma couldn't even begin to describe how ecstatic she was that she didn't have to wear a dress to school for the rest of the year, although she was certain Nabiki would find some way to make her wish she had...

Cologne whacked her suddenly with the end of her cane.

"Oww!" Ranma cried, rubbing her knuckles where the cane had hit. "What was that for!?"

"Stop scratching you side, you'll only aggravate it," the old woman told her firmly.

Ranma stuck her tongue out at the old ghoul as she turned away, earned a disapproving nudge from her mother.

"So," Akane started tentatively, a small playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Are you going to tell us what happened with Ryoga down there."

Ranma knew the question was on everyone's mind, but they'd been waiting patiently for her to be settled, rather than bombard her with questions on the way back, Obviously Akane had decided she'd waited long enough.

A coy grin appeared involuntarily on the red head's lips.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh don't play games with me," Akane poked her in the good side. "You were trapped down there with him for most of Yesterday and all night, are you telling me you two didn't talk about anything at all in that whole time?"

"I didn't say that," Ranma replied easily, enjoying irritating the dark haired girl.

Shampoo grinned slyly. "Did Ranma and Stupid Boy do naughty things with each other?"

"What!" Ranma almost choked. When she didn't reply though she found four pairs of eyes all staring at her, her face turning bright red. "No! Nothing like that happened! You have a dirty mind Shampoo!"

Shampoo grinned smugly. "I not the one blushing."

If anything that only made Ranma flush a deeper shade of crimson.

Her mother looked at her somewhat doubtfully.

"Nothing happened!" Ranma cried in frustration, much to their growing amusement. The red head pouted "You all suck."

"Ok," Cologne interrupted suddenly. "She needs rest so that salve can start doing its work. Everyone out."

There was no room for argument as she ushered them all out. Before hopping out she turned and gave the bed bound girl a wink and a grin before flipping the lights off and closing the door, plunging the room and Ranma into a faint darkness and, leaving Ranma to her thoughts. With no distractions or anything else to divert her mind, her thoughts quickly returned to the cave and the events of the previous day dropping down on her in a sudden rush.

She flopped back against the pillow and slipped her body under the blanket; It was only early afternoon, only a few hours since they hauled her out of the cave and she felt utterly exhausted, mentally and physically after all that had happened. A sleep in a soft bed was so inviting. She was looking forward to a nice long rest, and later a soak in the hot springs.

Elsewhere in the cabin and outside she heard the muffled sound of voices and people having fun as she laid there staring at the ceiling; but, at the same time she didn't really pay much attention to them either. Her brain was struggling to process everything that had happened and wondering what was next. She had admitted her mistake to Ryoga and he had confessed he had feelings for her too. What did that mean though?

In some ways she felt more lost now than she did before.

It wasn't like she could talk it over with him either; he had disappeared shortly after being pulled out of the cave, either wondering off and getting lost on his own or purposefully running away to think things through by himself for the moment. Maybe that was the best thing for the moment, for the two of them. They had both come to a crossroads and they needed to let it all sink in first before they rushed head long into something else.

She was about to close her eyes when a soft tap came at the door.

Ranma sighed.

A second later it came again.

"Alright already, gimme a second," she snapped in frustration.

She grabbed the crude crutch Cologne had made from tree branch for her and hobbled to the door with gingerly made steps. Her ankle didn't feel as bad as it had earlier, but the old ghoul was adamant about keeping off it, and since she was three hundred odd years old, Ranma had to figure it was better to take her advice than to ignore it out of hand.

Again the knocking came as her hand reached for the door handle.

"I'm coming for crying out loud!" she snapped as she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open. "What is -"

The rest of her words caught in her throat with surprise and alarm as she found herself staring up at Ryoga. Every muscle in her body froze and her heart skipped a beat as they stared at each other in silence. Then, just quickly the red head snapped out of it and yanked him into the room before sticking her head into the hallway to make sure no one had seen him. The last thing she needed was to give Shampoo more fuel for the fire or Nabiki a chance to take gain some good black mailing material.

"What are you doing here?" she all but hissed in a panic as she closed the door behind her, whirling around to face him.

The boy's mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he struggled to find the right words, even as she impatiently placed her hands on her hips.

The teenager stammered self consciously. "I... I... I needed to... I mean..."

Ranma sighed in exasperation "Come on Ryoga, out wi-"

Ryoga's hands clasped her shoulders without warning, and before she could react, his lips were pressed against hers. The red head's eyes widened dramatically and her entire body stiffened in abrupt shock as time seemed to stop around them. Slowly though, the shock melted away, she felt her body relax...

...and she kissed him back.

_**To Be Continued**_


	28. Chapter 27: Serendipity

**A/N: **

**Before I start I wanna point out the fact that Tabula Rasa now has a cover picture. This image was provided by the wonderful artist Fluffy-fuzzy-Ears at deviant art. She was generous enough to give me permission to use her picture so please visit her gallery on deviant art and show her some support because frankly her art is fantastic, you can find the link in my profile ^_^**

**Second announcement. I started a facebook page where readers of Tabula Rasa can go to get updates on chapter progress, interact with one another and I'll be looking at putting up polls for things that people can vote on that could affect the story. This wont be limited to just Tabula Rasa mind you, but also the following mini sequels that I personally am looking forward to getting to. Eventually I plan on making it my Authors Page for things relating to my own original works.**

**The link to the page is below and I urge people to come and join, but that is ultimately up to you ^_^**

**You can also find the link to the facebook page in my profile as well.**

**Now on to the typical author note stuff!**

**Holy shit this chapter took forever to finish.**

**I can easily say this is my longest chapter yet, I think…..**

**Ok, so I started writing this chapter back when I finished the last one, however progress was slow going thanks to prepping final assessment work for my art course so I couldn't devote a lot of time, and then I accidentally cracked the screen on my laptop and rendered it unusable till I could get the screen replaced. That took a while with Christmas coming up at the time so I couldn't afford to fix it straight away and I tried working at my desktop but typing at that thing is a real pain in the ass so I couldn't get much done. On top of that during the Christmas holidays I went on an intense diet/fast - managed to lose 11.8kgs (22-24lbs) in that time - and my focus was shot to hell in that time.**

**However two weeks ago I finally managed to scrape together the money I needed to fix it and here we are. Of course I was faced with the usual challenges but I all honesty I think a total of two and a half weeks of working time (that's total time spent writing) to get it completed is pretty good in retrospect.**

**Alright, so this chapter was HARD AS FREAKIN HELL to write.**

**I am going to warn readers now that there are some things in this that I have Ranma do, that frankly I'm sure some people are not gonna agree with. That's your right though, your opinion just know that I didn't use them lightly; I thought long and hard about it and didn't do these things lightly so when you find these things and you have a problem with them, just know that I'm aware of those things myself and I don't need people pointing out that those things are and that they were done with purpose in relation to the story and development of characters. **

**It could be that I'm worry over nothing, but I felt it worth putting the forewarning, not to dissuade people from reading but because I don't want to be ambushed with flames; though as one of my beta reader's put it - if you don't like it, write your own story.**

**As much pain and procrastination as this chapter has caused for me though, I have to say that for me this is one of my top favorites chapters so far XD**

**And I've already started on the next chapter.**

**Anyway, I'll meet you at the end of the chapter with some follow up stuff, so I really hope you enjoy this chapter that has been a long time coming because I know that ultimately I loved writing it.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

Chapter 27

_Serendipity_

It was hard to believe that only a few short days ago, it had been winter. In the days that had come and gone the snow had melted and the frigid bite in the air had lost most of its teeth. The sickly grey soup of clouds had burned away under the rays of the sun and a canvas of bright blue covered the sky from end to end with only the occasional white mass of cloud drifting lazily across it. The wind had died down to a gentle breeze that tickle the leafs and blades of grass and all across the country sakura trees had come into bloom. The soft white pink petals rained from branches at the slightest provocation, scattering on the breeze and across the ground only to be replace with more.

Every little thing smelt fresh and full of life with the scent of flowers and freshly cut grass hanging in the air, an array of aromas that wouldn't quit. The only indications of winter left were the occasional muddy puddles where the remaining snow had melted and soaked the earth, creating a nasty freezing cold slurry, but in another day or two those would be gone too.

It was the season of rebirth that started the cycle anew.

Ranma breathed it all in as she laid beneath the cherry blossom tree, staring up at the light filtering through the branches with a little quirk that up turned the corners of her lips in a small unconscious smile, munching slowly and absently on some melon bread and barely noticing the taste. Everything was just so damn peaceful and relaxing.

It was strange though.

Since winter had ended and spring had sprung, she'd had this sense of feeling like she had woken from a long sleep. Everything looked so vibrant and full of life, foods tasted more delicious than she could remember them having been and on top of it all, she had her energy back again. Her enthusiasm for martial arts had returned with a vengeance and her Pops was paying the price for it, his middle aged carriage being put through its paces like it hadn't been for years trying to keep up with her. Maybe it was the weight of everything she had gone through in the recent months, all the trials she had endured and overcome finally lifting from her shoulders leaving her feeling light and free for the first time in a long time.

'Hello, earth to space cadet Ranma,' Ukyo was suddenly leaning over her, startling her as the chef waved her hand across the red head's eyes.

She sat up to find her three ex-fiancée's staring at her expectantly. They'd decided to all have lunch together during break, and the three of them had been chattering away from the moment they sat down, like they had never tried to kill one another at one point or another. Not that she didn't appreciate the peace and quiet, or the food Shampoo snagged from the Nekohanten. Ranma realized she must have zone out, her mind a thousand miles away with so many thoughts flying through her head.

Akane rolled her eyes. 'You weren't listening to a single thing we've been talking about have you?'

'What? No,' she replied with as much indignation as possible. 'You were talking about... Um... Magazines...and ah, movies and...'

The three of them all stared at her with dry exasperated looks she was all too familiar with by now, looks that told her they were staring straight through all her bullshit; not that her bullshit was hard to get through.

'Alright fine, I wasn't listening,' she gave up all pretence of trying to lie; her mother was right, she sucked at it. 'So sue me.'

Ukyo eyed here suspiciously.

'You've been a real space case for days. You always look like your mind is elsewhere and tuning out when people are talking to you...hey!' The Okonomiyaki chef snapped her fingers a couple of times in front of her face as the red head started to zone out again.

'Sorry,' Ranma replied with feigned innocence. 'I had this annoying nagging noise in my ea- Oww!'

Ukyo was not merciful when she punched her in the arm for being a smart ass, but still couldn't help but grin at her childhood friends irritated expression of exasperation. It was fun getting under their skin for a change. After all the trouble they had put her through over the years she was entitled to her own pay back from time to time.

'What are you thinking about so intently anyway?' Akane asked curiously.

Ranma struggled to control the heat that rose in her cheeks like glowing hot coals, turning them rosy pink before she even realized what was happening, even as she felt her heart skip a beat at the image that raced through her mind.

'Nothing in particular,' she lied… lamely.

Ukyo huffed skeptically. 'Yeah right.'

'You've had your head in the clouds for days,' Akane added, echoing Ukyo's sentiment with a suspicious frown. 'At first I thought you were just loopy from the fumes coming off that gunk Cologne put on your ribs and ankle, but even before we left the resort you've been acting like you're on cloud nine or something.'

'Really guys,' she insisted with a nervous smile as she realized this was quickly spiraling out of her control. 'There's nothing wrong.'

'Shampoo think you remember naughty things you do with Ryoga in cave,' the Chinese girl declared suddenly, with a sly teasing tone that made Ranma's face turn bright scarlet before she knew what was happening. 'See, your face turn too, too red. You think about pervert things.'

'Stop that!' she hissed desperately in embarrassment, her face practically glowing it felt so hot. 'I keep telling you nothing happened, in the cave.'

All three girls suddenly focused on her in an eerie unison that sent shivers down her spine, after they shared curious glances with one another. She looked back at them uneasily, feeling very much like a trapped animal. 'What?'

Ukyo cocked an eye brow in curiosity at her. 'You said nothing happened in the cave. Did something happen somewhere else that you're not telling us about?'

Ranma stared at her, blinking helplessly at her slip of the tongue.

'Aww crap.'

Ukyo's eyes went wide and bright like a kid about to go nuts in a candy store. 'So something did happen! Tell us. Tellustellustellustellustell ustellustellus!'

'Alright already! Geez!' Ranma cut her off with an exasperated frown. Her face still burning as she sighed heavily with reluctance wondering if she was ever going to just get to keep something to herself for a change or if she was doomed never to have her secrets. 'I... It was... Back at the cabin...'

-**A Week Ago**-

Everything froze in that single moment.

In that moment when his lips pressed against her own.

Was it fireworks? No, but for that single instance everything stopped and fell to the back of her mind; none of it mattered as she felt the warmth of his lips, the pulse of his racing heart matching her own in an odd synchrony made it feel all the more powerful. Without even realizing she had, her eyes closed and she leaned into it, savoring it as much as she could, too surprised to do anything else. Weeks of trial and stress, of nearly ruined friendships and misunderstandings had lead up to this moment she hadn't even imagine would happen. The stunned ruby haired girl was drawn back to months before, to that forest and the freezing night in her fevered state when she had surprised him, drawn back to those weird quirky emotions that swarmed through her mind and filled her to overflowing.

This time was different though.

The first time she hadn't know what she was doing and couldn't really appreciate the feelings that had come to her without knowing who he was in that moment. They were just scattered memories of a mind in chaos. Now, with every passing fraction of a second she was burning it all into her mind, every emotion, every sensation that made the last few months suddenly bearable and worth it. It sent shivers down her spine as fears and insecurities melted away like dissipating vapors and left her feeling light headed as she'd never been before.

She almost felt as if she could float away…

She was still too shocked to resist when he finally pulled away and they stared at each other in silence for the longest time, cloaked within their own little bubble that blocked out everything around them.

There was only each other right then.

'Wow...' she finally whispered softly, not knowing what else to say or if she was even capable stringing together anything intelligent for that matter as she leant on him for support, her crudely made crutch laying forgotten on the floor; it felt as if someone had just taken her brain and put it through a spin cycle; she was so dizzy from the swirling maelstrom of emotions that left her unbalanced.

Ryoga gave her hands a gentle squeeze as he stared intensely at her.

'I've been thinking long and hard since last night, thinking of all the possibilities and outcomes, and I don't know where we're supposed to go from here Ranma, I'm not sure anyone does,' he explained calmly as he struggled to make himself clearer than he normally was so there was no misunderstanding. 'But, I _really_ want to find out together if you do.'

Ranma wasn't sure she could have been anymore surprised at that point, but sure enough she found herself gaping at him like a moron not entirely sure she had understood him right, but his words and tone were as clear as day; there was no mistaking what he was saying. Try as she might though, her jaw refused to move and the words just wouldn't come when beckoned.

He gave her hands another light, encouraging squeeze. 'Will you go out on a date with me...?'

Ranma felt her mouth open in shock, blinking blankly up at him...

-0-

As she quietly finished telling her tale, the other girls just stared at her in stunned silence, not knowing what to say. Inwardly, Ranma felt something akin to relief to have it out in the open really; as much as she wanted to have it to herself she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have had to tell someone about it. She was lucky to have had a week given her track record.

Without warning Ukyo punched her hard in the shoulder again.

'Oww, stop that!' Ranma snapped, grabbing at her arm.

The chef frowned. 'Why weren't you ever sweet like that with us!?'

Ranma glared uselessly at her in response. She never did anything like that for them because she knew if she did it for one of them she would have been gutted like a fish and choked her with own entrails, and that's only what Shampoo would have done to her; god only knows what creative ways the other two would have come up with to make her suffer.

'So?' Akane asked curiously. 'What did you say?'

Ranma shifted somewhat awkwardly. 'I... ah... I told him...I told him I needed to think about it.'

All at once the three of them reacted like a trio of enraged tigers, snapping and all but roaring at her in outrage as she reeled backwards in alarm. It was so rare to see all three of them rally together with such frightening ferocity. For one terrifying second she thought they were going to jump on her and tear her apart with their bare teeth.

'What?!' she was more than a little freaked out.

'What are you doing?!' Ukyo demanded in frustration looking as if she was ready to pull her hair out. 'He asked you out and you said you'd think about it? Come on Ranchan, it's only a date, it's not like he asked you to marry him for crying out loud!'

'It's not like I said no!' Ranma replied defensively. 'I-I-I was just surprised. He caught me off guard ok!'

'What did he say?' Akane seemed a bit more sympathetic to her plight, or maybe her sympathy was for Ryoga.

Ranma shrugged casually, trying not to look as uncertain as she truly felt at that moment. 'He said he understood and that there was no need to rush. He just wanted to say his peace and let me know where he stood. The ball is in my court now, as they say.'

'What you do now?' Shampoo tilted her head in a curiously feline gesture that made Ranma's skin crawl involuntarily.

'I don't know,' Ranma's shoulders slumped helplessly. 'We've been running circles around each other for weeks and now I don't know what to do. I don't even know how dating would work for us anyway. We're not exactly a normal couple...'

She sighed dejectedly.

Ukyo's tone took on a much gentler tone as she said. 'Oh it's not that bad Ranchan. The two of you just need to find something you can do together, that's all. There's nothing to be worried about. You deserve to go out and have some fun.'

'Except for the fact that I don't know or even want to know how to be a girlfriend in this situation,' she pointed out with a downcast expression. 'It'll be a disaster.'

'Ranma, maybe you need to stop thinking about dating Ryoga in terms of gender roles and start thinking about it more as two friends that really like each other spending time together and having fun. You should just be enjoying spending time together,' she explained calmly. 'As stupid as Ryoga can be Sugar, he's not dumb enough to assume that you're going to gush all over him or be some bubble head for him.'

Ranma knew she was right, at least in theory anyway. 'Maybe... When we were in the cave discussing everything I told him I wouldn't be some doting gushing girlfriend type, and he said he didn't want me to be, more or less. Maybe it's just me over thinking everything...'

'Do you want to go out on a date with him or not?' Ukyo asked her gently.

Ranma looked down at her lap sheepishly, feeling her cheeks burn faintly as stared the half eaten melon bread loaf in her hands. A small, but hesitant smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she looked up.

She nodded softly. 'Yeah, I think I do...'

'Well you should find him and talk to him about it then?' Akane suggested in a tone that left no room for doubt. 'He deserves that much for going out on a limb like that.'

'I know,' she replied honestly, trying to embrace the idea as much as she could without being weighed down by all the self doubt, but it wasn't easy. She sighed heavily. 'I'm still nervous that I'm going to make a fool of myself though.'

Ukyo looked at the others and grinned.

'That's why you have us.'

-0-

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, but by the end of it Ranma was starting to realize that she was either going to have to either learn to be more comfortable with her feelings and the situations she found herself in, or become a better liar. Ukyo and Akane hadn't let up about her talking to Ryoga, constantly reminding her or finding a reason to steer conversations towards it like she might try to weasel her way out of doing it. Granted, they probably weren't wrong to do it either; given the chance she would have turned tail and ran to avoid it she was so nervous. The only thing that did keep her from doing just that was the fact that she wanted to see him...

Maybe that was why she felt so nervous...

That and she didn't want to listen to her former fiancée's berate and chew her out for being a coward again.

She really only had herself to blame for it though. Ranma knew she should never have told him she needed time to think about it, not when the answer was so damn obvious; of all the things to have said after surprising her with that kiss, to ask her out on a date was more than she was ready for at the time, overwhelmed and caught off balance she had froze up. The only thing she knew about dating though was from the other side of the fence. She knew how to be charming and suave if she wanted to be, mysterious and intriguing enough to capture a girl's interest.

The only thing she knew from being a girl was how to manipulate stupid lonely guys into giving her free food...

Ranma sighed heavily, certain that this was all going to be a massive disaster. What were they suppose to do on a date anyway? What were they going to talk about? Their feelings? Even if they did, then what did were they to do after that? Get all lovey dovey and hold hands and the kami only knew what else? Just the thought made her queasy; just because he had caught her off guard with that kiss, or just because she had enjoyed it didn't mean she was all that keen on allowing it to happen again...

Maybe...

The red head clawed at her hair in frustration as she walked, so confused and twisted up with conflicting thoughts. She thought she had really been making great strides in sorting through her feelings and becoming comfortable with them, or at the very least tolerant or resigned to the fact that she was having them. It was confusing as hell and driving her nuts again. She didn't know what to do about it though.

Yes, being around Ryoga affected her. Yes, she did care about him and yes, whenever he wasn't around she couldn't stop herself from thinking about him. But the idea of being in a relationship where she was even a little intimate with a guy was just so hard for her to swallow. She wasn't the holding hands type of person, nor was she the kissing kind of person or anything like what others would consider normal. Not even when she had been a guy had she been that terribly inclined towards that stuff and only did any of those things when it was necessary... So what the hell did she have to offer in any sort of relationship?

She was probably kidding herself if she thought this was going to end well for either of them...

Maybe she was just being over dramatic though. Perhaps there wouldn't be a problem, maybe the date would go off without a hitch and they would both have a good time. They had certainly earned it after everything they had been through. It was just the idea of going on a date with a guy, Ryoga no less was so hard to imagine much less conceive of the idea that they might have fun in the process. It wasn't like she hadn't faked her way through 'dates' with Kuno and others at one time or another, but there had always been ulterior motives behind those dates, she hadn't wanted to go on them but had no other choice. This would be completely different…. It felt so foreign and alien an idea that she couldn't help but believe that the worst would happen, that they would end up arguing with one another until they didn't even want to look at each other anymore.

Somehow she hated that possibility even more.

Ranma grinned to herself in an ironic, humorless manner as she considered just how many times she had thought about how Akane and Shampoo and Ukyo, and hell any one of the other girls and women in her life were confusing; now here she was, her head so full of thoughts that if she even attempted to give voice to them she would probably only end up sounding even crazier and making even less sense than she did in her own mind.

Her life was so strange...

She sighed, lazily crossing her hands behind her head as she walked and stared up at the pristine sky, watching a flock of birds fly past; she knew there was only one thing she could do.

She had to go talk to him.

-0-

Ryoga frowned down at the piece of paper, as if it were challenging him, accusing him of some ill-mannered deed that was coming back to haunt him. The dark look he gave it did nothing to diminish its affect; he almost expected it to start tsking him like a mother scolding a child. Who would have though trying to put thoughts to paper would be so hard.

He had drawn up two columns and above them both was a simple enough title. _What_ _to do and What not do on a date with Ranma Saotome_... Ok maybe simple was an exaggeration, but regardless it illustrated his dilemma effectively. It was probably the last thing he would have ever expected to put down on paper, willingly or not and the idea that he had asked Ranma out on a date was blowing his mind.

He didn't regret it, but that didn't mean it wasn't doing a number on him. Even still it had left him with a something of a problem he hadn't really given a lot of thought to before asking. How was he supposed to act on a date with her?

It wasn't like he had a lot of experience to begin with when it came to dating. Aside from Akari he had basically no real experience except for idealized fantasy's that people saw in shoujo manga and romance novels and movies where everything simply fell into place and everyone got a happy ending within an hour or two or a couple hundred pages. He knew none of that could ever be applied to real life let alone with Ranma... Not unless she was under some kind of spell or the affects of something else that turned her into a naive school girl...

So hence he found himself in his current predicament.

The What Not To Do column was already full of the obvious things, like don't bring her flowers or else she would probably stab him with the stems and berate him while she did. And of course he couldn't treat her like a normal girl either... Which went without saying; she made it abundantly clear in the cave that she wouldn't act like gushy girl and she didn't want to be treated like one either, which was fair enough. It left him scratching head though. It was confusing and he didn't want to screw this up, not after everything they had been through. He wanted her to enjoy herself, to be able to forget about everything if only for a few hours.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't sense the presence sneaking up behind him until he heard the crunching of displaced gravel under foot. In a flash instinct took over. The dark haired teenager threw the paper and pen into the air and whirled around, his muscles tensing in anticipation of a fight; only to come to an abrupt halt when he found himself staring into a pair of bright blue gems framed by locks of wild flaming scarlet hair blinking back at him questioningly.

'Ranma!' he nearly squeaked in alarm. 'I...I...I was just thinking of you! I mean, I was thinking about the cabin...no wait, that's not what I meant...'

Rather than continue rambling, Ryoga clonked himself hard over the head in a desperate bid to stop the unintelligent dribble streaming from his mouth. All the while Ranma continued to stare at him silently, probably thinking he had finally lost it he thought as he tried to ignore the growing throb where his fist had connected with his incredibly thick, stupid skull.

'Hi,' he finally managed with an embarrassed flush and fiddling anxiously with his fingertips.

'Hi,' Ranma echoed, smiling slowly with amusement; before she could say anything else though, a piece of paper floated down and landed on her head. She pulled it away and held it in front of her. '_What To Do and What Not To Do On A Date With Ranma Saotome_.'

Ryoga felt his blood turn to ice as he gasped in horror. Before she could blink he snatched it out of her hands, smashed it into a ball and gobbled it down in the space of a couple of seconds. Ranma could only stand there and stare at him disbelief as he choked down the crumpled up paper, leaving her blinking wildly. Now he felt like even more of an idiot….

'Well that was smooth,' she rolled her eyes dryly.

Ryoga ignored the glib remark and barreled on like nothing had happened. 'What are you doing here?'

A curtain of worried seriousness closed across her face as she chewed her lower lip, suddenly having a hard time staring him in the eye. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a sinking feeling filled his stomach like cold lead.

'W...we need to talk,' Ranma replied tentatively. 'About some things...'

_'Oh kami, no not this.'_

Ryoga felt his chest tighten like a vice around his heart as a million possible scenarios raced through his mind. None of them good. He was a fool to think she would want to go out on a date, and he had kissed her! Had he pushed too far too fast? Had he scared her into wanting to put an end to everything before it had a chance to go anywhere? Why did he have to blunder into everything like some stupid boar!? Of course he had gone too far with the kiss! Hell he had practically forced himself on her, he hadn't even given her any warning, and so soon after being trapped alone in the cave together. She probably wanted to rip his heart out for what he had done. Oh he was such an idiot!

'I think it's important that we lay down some ground rules,' Ranma continued obliviously.

Ryoga froze as the storm of voices fell silent in his head just as quickly as they had started, staring at her in surprise. 'Wait... so you're not giving me the, we can still be friends speech?'

'What?' Ranma frowned in exasperation as she placed her hands on her hips. 'No, of course not! I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page about what you mean by date, you baka.'

At that moment Ryoga could have cried with joy and relief at the weight that suddenly lifted from his chest. Here he was letting his imagination run rampant, over reacting without knowing all the details; he was such a moron.

Then he suddenly stopped, and blinked rapidly.

'Wait….. does this mean….. you do want to go on a date?'

Ranma jolted slightly, the frown suddenly shifting into a look of surprise as she stared at him, her mouth opening and closing silently not knowing what to do or say. Her cheeks colored a light shade of pink as she shifted nervously and looked down at her feet. 'Um…. well… eh th...that depends…'

Ryoga scratched the back of his head anxiously.

'Depends on what?'

Ranma blinked at him like she hadn't heard what he'd said. He could almost see the wheels spinning in her head as she struggled with her words. The flush in her cheeks deepened as she fidgeted wildly, frustration settling behind her gaze. She would kill him if he said so but she had no idea how cute she looked when she was all flustered and irritated.

'It... ah...it depends on... on what kind of date... you had in mind,' she answered finally, swallowing a large lump in her throat that made it seem as if she was about to face a pride of hungry lions with her hands and feet tied together.

He shrugged slightly, 'Well I thou-'

'Because I'm not going on any candle lit dinner date,' she cut in abruptly, her voice rising in something akin to panic mixed with equal portions of indignant pride as she turned away from him and her arms became animated with excitement. 'I'm not gonna act like some girly girl and hang off your every word and I don't want you acting all macho and thinking you need to hold doors open or anything like that! I sure as don't want you holding my hand or any of that crap you got it? I'll break every bone in your hand if your try anything like that damn it! So you can stow any damn plans you've got of getting fresh with me. Ok? Just something nice and simple.'

Ryoga could only stand there and gape at her as if she had grown a second head as she whirled around and pinned him with an intense, serious glare. She looked as if she were laying down the ground rules for some sort of cease fire negotiation. He did the only thing he could do.

He burst with laughter.

Ranma's look shifted from shock to icy cold in a matter of seconds, huffing irritably as he all but doubled over in genuine amusement. 'What's so funny damn it!?'

'You are,' he replied fearlessly, enduring the frosty glare he received in turn. 'Is this why you've been avoiding me for a week? Because you were scared-'

'I'm not scared!' she insisted dangerously.

'Because you were scared that I was going to get "fresh" with you?' he almost snorted on another laugh but forced it down. 'Aside from the fact that you know me better than that you could have just told me all this at the cabin and save yourself a lot of stressed.'

Ranma flushed bright red in a mix of embarrassment and exasperation. 'Well what was I supposed to do? You surprised me with that damn kiss and I didn't know what to so. If I had been thinking straight at the time I would have said so!'

Realizing how she sounded Ranma's face grew an even darker shade of red, before averting her eyes, but not before he caught the mortified expression that caused his lips to quirk upwards; wisely though he decided not to say anything.

'What did you have planned then?' she demanded, in a soft uncertain tone.

Ryoga shrugged, suddenly feeling a little anxious himself. 'I... I uh thought, maybe... We... We could go to the fair, at Ueno Park. They have lots of side show games and we could have something to eat and uh... talk about things I guess... If you want that is! I don't want you to feel like you have to...'

Ranma looked at him silently, surprise registering in her eyes.

'That... actually sounds... kinda nice,' she admitted quietly, before scratching the back of her head, shifting about self consciously. 'Feeling kinda stupid for rambling now...'

The silence that settled between them was laden with tension, neither knowing really what to say next as they rifled through the plethora of thoughts suddenly running through their minds.

Ryoga swallowed slightly, almost afraid to ask. 'So... does this mean... you're saying yes?'

A small smile tugged at her lips. 'Yes...'

Elation like he hadn't felt in a long time welled up inside the teenager; this was probably the first time a girl - at least physically in this case - had ever agreed to go out with him of their own accord. The few times Akane had gone out with him were only to get back at Ranma and thus couldn't really be considered a real dates and the dates with Akari that he'd had weren't exactly special or memorable, in fact most of them had been downright pathetic thanks to his stupid sense of direction. No, the joy he felt now was certainly real and he was going to hold on to it as tightly as possible.

'How about we make it for the weekend?... Ryoga?' she asked suddenly, and he blinked out of his thoughts, cocking his head in surprise. Her eyes sparkled brightly with amusement. 'The weekend ok with you?'

Nodding like a half wit, he replied eagerly. 'Yes.'

'Good, I'll see you then,' she agreed and started to walk off. She'd only gone a couple of feet when she turned back around and added. 'Oh, and don't wander off anywhere on your own! I'll get someone to bring you to the house.'

Ryoga felt like he had been smacked in the head with a brick; he hadn't even thought about that! It would have been just his luck to start out for her place and end up showing up a week or three later. That would have made for a great first date Hibiki!

At least Ranma could think ahead.

'Ok,' he answered finally in relief as she walked off, barely able to contain the goofy grin that threaten to cover his face. 'I'll be there.'

-0-

The rest of the week went by in a kind of blur that alternated between a snail's pace and streaming past way too fast. By the time the last school day of the week arrived, Ranma was mentally exhausted and torn with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness, which wasn't helped any by Ukyo and Shampoo constantly nagging at her about crap she didn't care about. Akane was the only one that didn't hound her every single spare second she had. Almost as bad was the fact that the news that she was going out on a date with Ryoga had gotten around the school somehow. The majority of the girls she knew thought it was adorable and asked her questions to which she had no answers – though she supposed she should have been thankful they no longer hated her, – while the majority of the boys wept in heartbroken grief… as if they'd had a chance, the idiots.

And then there was the Blue Thunder of Furinkan high...

Ranma had lost count of how many times she's launched him into space with a swift kick to the ass. He was by far the most persistently irritating facet of her life and she could not wait for the school year to end so the idiot would go off to university. The fool had the nerve to claim that she couldn't date anyone until he had approved of them.

The jackass!

Her mother's reaction by far had been the most amusing. She thought her mother was gonna suddenly break into a dance of joy with victory fans in either hand and start thanking the kami. Her mother's excitement for her had been she would admit, a tad infectious but that was as far as it went. Her mother was glad things were starting to progress between her and Ryoga and wanted them to have a good time, but she didn't do anything more than that. Her father on the other hand had found the whole thing amusing, joking that he might have to start looking for a rich husband for her, and promptly got a swift kick to the head for being an ass.

Finally the big day was here though. She had gotten up early, having slept very little as it was and after a strenuous workout in the yard to work off her nerves she was starting to feel a little better, refreshed in a way that only a good workout give you. Thankfully the fine weather they'd had been experiencing since the end of winter, had held out and it looked to be a perfect a day; a fact that brought a wide smile to the red head's face as she slaved away in the kitchen, her knife mere flashes of silver as it sliced deftly through the food laid out before her.

Ok, maybe she was going a little overboard making a bento lunch for the both of them, but she knew that with the way they both ate there was no way they could afford to fill their stomachs with fare food; although these bento lunches weren't going to fill them either, but it would help some. Besides which she knew Ryoga liked her cooking so she was going monopolize on that as much as she possibly could, since it was one of the few small things she had going for her... Well, except for her looks...

Alright so maybe part of her felt silly that she was going to all this trouble to cook for a guy, Ryoga no less but the other part of her really wanted this day to be perfect and have a great time; more importantly she wanted to show that she was just as invested in whatever this was the two of them had between them, and if that meant putting her culinary skills to good use for a change, then so be it. And damn it, she was tired of holding back parts of herself just because she was scared of what everyone might think of her. There wasn't much she had to offer as a girl apart from being a brilliant martial artist of unparalleled skill, but by the kami she could make a delicious meal and if people thought she was weird because of that, well then too bad. They could kiss her perfectly shaped ass.

...Of course there was also the fact that she didn't have a great deal of money left, and she wasn't going to let Ryoga pay for her. She wasn't Nabiki damn it! Plus she didn't think it would go over too well if she started flirting with vendors to get free food…

Issues of practicality aside, she really did want to do it. She wasn't going to at first and then the idea jumped into her mind without warning, and she couldn't dismiss it; then she had remember his reaction to her cooking when they'd had dinner together a few weeks earlier, and some part of her wanted to see that reaction again. As far she was concerned though, she wasn't being domestic or trying put on some dutiful girlfriend act, she was using the skills she had because she could and she was good at it. So what if someone who knew her saw them together and thought it was silly that she had gone to this trouble. She was tired of caring what other people thought. Hell, maybe if she had been far less concern with appearances then perhaps things would have ended up very differently between her and Akane.

She wasn't going to let this opportunity slip past her.

Of course she was still nervous though; she was going out on a freaking date with Ryoga for crying out loud! She was going on a date with a guy... Even saying it to herself it seemed so ridiculous that she could almost laugh. She still wasn't entirely certain that, whatever this was between them was going to work, given their past; hers specifically at least. However, if Ryoga Hibiki, who had once gone berserk after being kissed by her mirror clone, could see past the fact that she used to be a guy then she had to at least try to see past it herself.

After all, it was only fair.

Besides, it wasn't as if she could just switch back to her male form anymore.

At the heart of it all though, she was tired of mourning her lost form. It left her exhausted in so many ways and she just couldn't do it anymore. Maybe being stuck this way hadn't been in the cards. Maybe it was the last thing she had wanted to happen, but the fact was that it had happened and there was nothing she could do to change that now. She could wallow in her own insecurities and feel miserable for the rest of her life if she wanted to, but what was the point? It wasn't going to change anything except eventually drive away all the people she cared about.

Too much had happened in the last few months that had opened her eyes to how she used to act; opened her eyes to her cocky arrogance, and quite frankly she didn't want to go back to being that person who only cared about showing how manly he was by acting like a complete ass most of the time. Unconsciously or not, she had taken everyone in her life for granted and lorded her skills and abilities over her rivals, so arrogantly confident that she was never going to be beaten down by anyone. And where had all that gotten her…?

No...

...It was time to move on, however challenging that might be.

She was never going to be able to forget who she was under this adorable and prime specimen of an exterior, but she refused to let it rule her life anymore. She wasn't going to start acting all girly and gush over stupid clothes like some of the bubble heads at Furinkan did, but she was definitely going to learn at least to stop looking at everything around her with such a black and white filter, as Ukyo had described her perception of the world around her more than once. There still a lot of things she was going to have to overcome and accept as they came at her, realities and circumstances that went with being a girl, but somehow she would find a way.

She always found a way after all.

The red head frowned darkly at the movement in the corner of her vision, and without hesitating she slammed the blade of her knife down between her father's fingers as his hand snaked towards the platter of rice balls. He froze, gaping with wide unblinking eyes at the blade that was barely a hairs width from severing the flesh where the two fingers met the hand. He turned tentatively to look up at her from his crouched position as a trickle of cold sweat slipped down the side of his face.

'Back off Pops,' she snarled icily. 'You won't get a second warning.'

Wisely, he did just that, slinking out of the kitchen with a quietness that was disturbing for a man of his size and age.

'Damn animal,' she muttered under her breath as she went back to her work.

After a while she took a step back to admire her work; carefully formed rice balls with various flavorings and 'octodogs' along with sushi rolls and pork buns and an assortment of other morsels of food that she was confident tasted just as good as they looked. She couldn't help but frown a little wearily though; perhaps she shouldn't have made pork buns... Oh well it was too late to be worried about that now.

'Ranma, what are you doing!'

The red head yelped as she whirled around in a frantic flourish at the disbelieving demand to find Ukyo and Shampoo standing behind her. A flush of embarrassment warmed her cheeks as they stared at her, and the serving plates holding the food that was ready to be packed into the two bentos.

'Wh... When did you two get here?' she asked quickly, trying to recover some scrap of dignity.

'Never mind that,' Ukyo frowned. 'Why aren't you ready yet?'

Ranma felt some of the warmth leave her cheeks as she blinked blankly at them, then glanced down at her clothes and the almost unnoticeable splatters of various foods that had somehow made it to the cuffs of her sleeves and few dark spots across her mid section. She'd thrown on the first thing she saw when she'd gone back up to her room after the work out, and that just happened to be her Chinese styled clothes she loved so much, that probably did need a good wash soon she thought. They were starting to develop something of an odor…

She was confused as she looked back at them. 'I am ready though...'

Both girls just stared at her aghast.

'Oh no Sugar,' Ukyo declared firmly. 'You are not going out like that, and besides you wear that all the time.'

Ranma frowned as she put her hands on her hips defensively. 'And what's wrong with the way I look?'

'You look like disheveled waitress,' Shampoo replied critically, eying the chaotic strands of hair that stuck out at all angles and in desperate need of a good brush. 'No good look for first date.'

Ranma sighed in exasperation. 'Oh come on, this is Ryoga we're talking about. He's not going to care if my clothes are a little dirty or what I look like for that matter.'

'Ranchan, I know inside that brain of yours you still think like a guy, but it really wouldn't hurt to develop a bit of feminine pride in your appearances yah know?' Ukyo shook her head in exasperation. 'Go shower and get ready before Akane arrives with him. You've still got enough time and making him wait a bit is a good thing.'

Sensing this was a war she couldn't win Ranma simply sighed and rolled her eyes in defeat. 'Fine, but I have to finish packing these bentos first.'

'Oh don't worry about that,' her mother said warmly as she gently pushed past the two girls. 'I'll do that while you're getting ready.'

Ranma hesitated, thinking she should be the one to do it, but she sensed that under the calm and reserved exterior that her mother projected, that she was in fact dying to help in some way. So with a reluctant nod she allowed herself to be dragged away by the two overzealous girls, a sinking feeling of dread about their participation already filling her stomach.

-0-

When she stepped out of the shower barely half an hour later, she felt like a new person. Every part of her felt fresh and rejuvenated, leaving her full of energy. Steam rolled off her skin in dancing wisps of vapor as she dried herself off, her hair now smelling like sweet apples since her regular shampoo had "conveniently" gone missing; her mother's handiwork she suspected dryly. Though however reluctantly, she did have to admit - at least to herself anyway - that it really did smell better than her regular stuff, but she sure as hell didn't want to walk around smelling like a piece of fruit all the time! Whatever it smelt like though, she felt better than when she had first stepped under the hot wash of water, recharged and ready and to go.

When she had finally finished drying herself off, wrapped from her chest down in a soft fuzzy towel she made her way to her bedroom. Even before she reached the door she could hear Ukyo and Shampoo's heated discussion, and sighed as she twisted the handle, daring to enter the lion's den. The kami only knew what was installed for her...

Stepping into the room, she stopped abruptly, blinking in surprise to find Akane sitting on her bed. 'Akane, I wasn't expecting you so soon.'

The other girl smiled warmly, if not in amusement. 'You're the one that's running late Ranma.'

The red felt her nervousness starting to catch up with her. She was almost afraid to ask. 'Ah, d...did you get Ryoga here without any problems?'

Akane's grin broadened. 'Un huh, he's waiting down stairs for you.'

-0-

The living room was burdened with a heavy silence that stretched out into the hall and kitchen like the withering mass of a living creature reaching for its prey. Ryoga sat with his legs crossed in the lotus position, back straight and his hands on either knee, his dark green eyes staring straight ahead without blinking and nearly frowning the way he did when he looked so serious. Genma sat at the opposite end of the table with a similar expression and sat almost identically to the young man across from him, except that his arms were crossed in front of him in an almost contemplative way.

Neither had said a word since Akane had left the young man to sit and wait patiently. They just stared at one another in an off putting way, bodies tensing out of reflex or instinct as if they expected the other to suddenly attack without warning and were readying themselves to counter attack or dodge at a moment's notice.

Finally Genma coughed slightly and glanced upwards at the ceiling, causing the light above to turn his glasses an opaque white. 'Well... This is awkward...'

Ryoga merely nodded calmly as his eyes closed contemplation.

'Yep...'

-0-

Ranma could only shake her head with growing exasperation as Ukyo and Shampoo picked apart her wardrobe like a pair of scavenging hyenas. Forced to sit on the edge of her bed still wrapped in the towel, they had refused to let her change until they found something suitable amongst her clothes for her to wear on the date. As if she was incapable of choosing for herself; she was willing to bet she had more fashion sense then both of them put together... well, maybe not as much as Shampoo, but certainly more than Ukyo and Akane! And they had the nerve to assume she couldn't dress sensibly for a date.

She rubbed the corners of her eyes, sighing irritably as the two chattered between themselves like she wasn't even there. The kami only knew what would have happened if she had let them take her shopping like they had wanted to, despite their best efforts to convince her otherwise. You'd swear it was them going out on a date with Ryoga instead of her with the way they were acting! They were being ridiculous.

'You know Ranma,' Ukyo's perplex tone broke through her thoughts. 'For someone thats rebels against all things girly, you sure do have a lot of girly clothes.'

Ranma's eyes snapped up to see her ex-fiancée hold up the frilly dress she'd brought when she thought she really was a girl. Her skin crawled with a cold shiver as she thought about how narrowly she had escaped that fate. To think, if it wasn't for Akane's short fuse she could have reached this point in her life a hell of a lot sooner but under very different and terrifying circumstances. Although she wasn't sure how Ryoga would have dealt with that particular version of herself...

...Hell, who was she kidding? That pervert would have lapped up all the attention and the dutiful girlfriend act like a... like a... well like a pig in mud.

She couldn't help but shuddered violently.

'Maybe you should wear this?' Ukyo suggested with a half laugh. 'You'll look so adorable and innocent in it!'

Ranma felt her face burn. 'I'd rather wear a coat of hungry cats than ever wear that thing again!'

'Ok, ok, thats a no,' Ukyo's laughed as she put the dress back where she found it. 'Besides, I think we've found more than enough outfits for you to try on.'

Ranma frowned. 'Try on? Why do I have to try them on? They're my clothes, I know how they already loo-ARCK!'

-0-

'Hey, what do you think you're doing!? I'm not wearing that!'

'Relax Sugar, this'll go much easier if you stop resisting so much!'

'Stop it, let me go damn it! Hey don't squeeze those!''

'Ranma look so cute though.'

'Ack! Don't touch me there!'

'Well If you weren't squirming around so much Sugar, I wouldn't have!'

Ranma's shrill squeals, the other two girls laughter and the commotion upstairs of physical struggles echoed through the house, breaking the dead silence that had settled over it. Ryoga felt his cheeks burn as images rose unbidden in his mind, along with thoughts he struggled to push to the back of his mind. It was only with a great deal of effort that he stopped himself from reacting.

Genma coughed, the light reflecting off his glasses masking the look in his eyes. 'Very awkward.'

Ryoga could only nod.

'Yep.'

-0-

The red head suddenly knew how it felt to be a little girl's doll, as her clothes were all but torn away from her by her two very overzealous ex-fiancées. She couldn't even follow the chatter that streamed from the girls as they pulled and pushed her about, and she lost track of how many outfits she had been forced in and out of; many of which she suspected they made her try on for their own amusement as they had to have known she would never wear them out in public unless she absolutely had to. Her eyes spun dizzily and strands of hair stuck out everywhere. Off to the side Akane could only sit and watch her in a mix of amusement and sympathy as she was manipulated about like a marionette.

Ranma tried to take in her steed, enduring the barrage of endless chatter in both ears and the constant swapping and changing of clothes. They thought they were helping after all, in their own unfathomable style, but she was quickly reaching the limits of her patience. Her body shook and her face got redder and redder with each set of outfits she was forced in and out of like she was merely a toy they would have played with as children. She grounded her teeth together irritably as she was jerked about till it felt like her arms were going to be yanked from the socket.

When they approached her with another set of clothes, she could take no more!

'Stop!' she screamed, stunning the two girls to an abrupt halt with the piercing screech.

Without giving them time to recover she shoved and herded the girls towards the bedroom door. Throwing it open she shoved the three of them into the hallway, dumping them unceremoniously on their asses in the process, panting heavily and grinding her teeth like a wild animal. She eyed them all with wide, wild and exasperated eyes before making a sound that was caught between a huff and a feline like hiss. Then she turned and slammed the door shut behind her.

The three girls just sat there where they had landed staring in shock at the door, stunned silent.

Then Akane blinked with confused outrage. 'What did I do?!'

Ranma pressed her back to the door and let out a sigh of exasperation through clenched teeth. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly with hard quick breaths, staring in frustration at the battlefield of clothing strewn across the place like a hurricane had swept through the place and left everything in chaos. How could two girls cause so much mess in less than fifteen minutes? More importantly, how could they turn something as simple as picking out some clothes to wear into the biggest chore in the world? It wasn't as if their lives depended on picking something perfect. You pick something and you wear it, it wasn't that hard!

Rubbing away the growing headache behind her eyes and shaking her head, she peeled off the embarrassingly feminine under garments they'd forced her into and started sorting through the clothes, thinking it would have been less of a chore if they had just let her wear her usual outfit, but noooooo! Can't wear something if it's a little dirty and got a little bit of a smell, gotta be classy! As if Ryoga would give a damn if her shirt had a few splotches of food on it.

_Knock, knock…_

Ranma grounded her teeth as she turned around. 'Look you three, I can dress myself damn it!'

The door swung open and her mother walked in with an amused glint to her eyes and closed the door behind her. 'Well I'm glad your father didn't skimp on that lesson at least.'

Ranma felt her face heat to a slight simmer. 'Sorry... I thought you were the others. They were driving me nuts over this what to wear nonsense and now they've got me all... all turned around!'

'I can imagine,' her mother murmured as she glanced around the clothes blasted room, before adding calmly. 'I'm sure they were just trying to help though.'

Ranma nodded reluctantly. 'I know, they mean well.'

'So long as you appreciate that,' her mother replied with a generous smile. 'Now, why don't you get dressed so you can get going. unless you plan on going out like that. I wouldn't recommend it though….'

The red frowned in slight confusion, before looking down at herself, only then did she remember she was walking around in her birthday suit like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She chuckled a little sheepishly. 'Good call.'

It didn't take her long to find a pair of plain looking underwear amongst the clothes strewn about across the room and some clothes she thought were appropriate for the day, and started getting dressed. Ranma sighed though at the back of her mind as she reached behind her to pulled the bra clasp together, wondering when changing in front of her mother had become just another normal thing in her life. It wasn't like she went out of her way to change in front of her, but her mother didn't think twice about walking in at any time she pleased. Ranma had felt odd about it at first, but steadily it sunk in that her mother wasn't seeing anything she hadn't already seen before. It had quickly become just another one of those things that just was

The red head gritted her teeth as she struggled with the stubborn bra clasp, thinking that if she bent her arms behind her any further they were going to be pop out of the sockets!

'Close damn you!' Ranma started turning in circles on the spot like a cat chasing her tail, growling in frustration. 'GAH!'

Her mother snickered. 'Come here dear.'

The girl's face turned red as she reluctantly gave up as she turned around and let her mother pull the clasp into place, letting the little claws interlock. The red head winced, not in pain but rather because she still couldn't use to wearing bras all the time; sports bras she were a little more easier to deal with, but since she had used them so much lately, they were all in the wash, which had forced her to turn to some of the more feminine ones that had made it into her draws. Of course, admiring herself in the mirror she had to admit she did look good in them, even if they did make her skin crawl uncontrollably.

When she turned around to grab the crimson colored blouse from the bed, she noticed the little bag next to her mother.

'What's that?' she asked wearily.

All of a sudden there was a hesitance in her mother's eyes, like she had a question she wanted to ask but wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject.

'Mom, just spit it out,' Ranma added.

'I know what you're going to say honey, and you're going to object strongly,' her mother explained as she calmly picked the bag up and held it in her lap. 'But, have you thought about trying on a little bit of make up?'

Ranma nearly choked at the completely left field question that came out of nowhere. Her brain locked up as she blinked in disbelief at the woman, wondering if her mother was just joking or if she had finally lost her mind.

'No, of course not!' she couldn't believe her mother would even ask her that. 'I'm not wearing any of that girly junk.'

Her mother smiled patiently. 'Sweetie, I know you don't like this type of thing and I do understand, really I do. I'm not going to force you to wear any of it if that's what you're afraid of. However, that being said I think you're seriously underestimating how useful knowing these things can be and what can be done with a bit of cosmetics.'

Ranma felt a familiar surge of stubborn pride well up inside her. 'No way! I don't want any of that stuff on my face. Cologne made me use that junk when I was trying to save Akane and the others from that Toma brat. It felt so weird and my lips tasted like gross wax for days. Isn't it enough that I started shaving my legs regularly?'

This time her mother chuckled openly.

'Oh my sweet child,' her mother laughed warmly. 'I'm not talking about using heavy makeup dear. I'm only talking about a little bit that's lightly applied. Like I said I know you don't like it, but will you at the very least humor me and let me show you what I mean? Wait, let me finished. If, when I'm finished you don't like what you see you can easily wash it all off and there's no damage done and I won't ever bother you about it again alright. What do you say?'

The red head continued to frown. 'I don't know…. It still seems like a really girly thing to do…. I don't understand why women get all obsessed with it.'

She'd even made fun of Akane on several occasions when she'd caught the younger Tendo sister trying out new products she'd brought; but that been more just to get a rise out of her than it was about the makeup so she wasn't really sure if she could count that.

'Oh sweetie,' her mother shook her head, but her smile never faltered. 'Look, I promise you don't have to commit to wearing it, I'm just asking you to give it a try and if you really don't like how it looks or feels you can remove it. I think however that you will agree with the results if you at least give me a chance to show you what can be done. Plus, make up isn't necessarily about being girly dear, there are many reasons to use it, but let's see if I can put it in terms you might understand better. For some women and even some men these days it's simple silly vanity; they're never satisfied and always want to make themselves look better, younger and they only end up making themselves look worse. For others they might be trying to hide unfortunate scars they may have received at some point in their life or birth marks they feel self-conscious about. Especially there are young women that are perfectly beautiful but they feel like they're not and they turn to make up when they don't need it. There are so many reasons it would take me too long to discuss them all, but by far and large most of the time it's about expression. Expression can be found in a lot of things we do; for you it's martial arts, and to a lesser extent I've noticed, cooking.'

That caused Ranma flush a little in embarrassment, making her look away. 'Martial arts is hardly anything like wearing makeup, mom. It's a way of life.'

'Yes, that's true,' her mother allowed. 'But that's training and living your life through a set of ideals and a code. But, when you fight, you express yourself more openly through your battle aura, how you move, the split second decisions you make. You create a style that is all your own. It's these finely honed qualities that make a name for you and you express yourself through those things. With makeup, it can be quite the same, except that instead of physical attacks you express yourself through how you apply it and the effect it creates. There are those who express themselves through very subtle uses while there are others that use louder, intense colors. It might seem silly to someone like you, who was raised to think of such things as a waste of time, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing and I'm not suggesting you should wear it every day, all I'm saying is that there might be some occasions in your life where you may want to or feel like expressing yourself in different ways or just having some fun. Your first experience that you mentioned was not a very good one from the way you describe it. I just want to show you it doesn't have to be like that if you go about it the right way, that's all.'

Ranma was the first to admit that when Cologne had directed her on how to use each bit of the ridiculous assortment of cosmetics provided for all of Toma's potential brides, they had both been in a hell of a rush. They didn't have time to do it right, though she suspected the Old Ghoul had gotten a kick out of making her "future son-in-law" go through all that hell. Then again she never knew what the hell was going through that old woman's head. Even still the thought of using make up outside of anything more than an extreme situation did not appeal to her, and going out on a date with Ryoga – as out there as that was – did not count as an extreme situation.

She didn't like the feel of it on her skin nor the smell of it and she couldn't understand why women would put themselves through the hassle of using the assortments colored powders, lipsticks, and the gods only knew what else. She didn't think she would ever understand the appeal in it, but here her mother was asking her to at least try it her way.

She stood there for what felt like an eternity mulling the idea over and over again in her mind. She trusted her mother's judgment and her mother sure as hell hadn't forced her to do anything she didn't want to do since learning she had become trapped as a girl and she hadn't try to make her into the perfect example of a young lady like she had once feared she might. Her mother had been understanding and patient with her, and she knew her mother knew how she felt about this kind of stuff, so she knew she wouldn't have asked this if she hadn't given it some serious consideration first. Her mother was just trying to offer help in the best way she knew how and she couldn't fault her for that.

When she looked at her mother she could see a glimmer of hopefulness behind her eyes that caused her to chew her bottom lip carefully. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to humor her mother at least; she did say after all that she could wash it all off if she didn't like it, so it wasn't like it was going to cost her anything except a few minutes of her time and in the process she would make her mother happy and as an added bonus her mother wouldn't bother her about it ever again. It was a small price to pay for a life time of peace.

Ranma supposed she should have been thankful she hadn't woken up strapped to a chair with her mother hovering over her like some insane vampire ready apply the make up by force.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. 'Alright! But, I'm not promising I'll go out there with that stuff on so don't go thinking that me saying yes means I'm ok with all this, because I still think it's weird.'

Her mother's face brightened dramatically, and despite her misgivings Ranma couldn't help but smile amusement in spite of herself; it was hard not to get caught up in someone's excitement like that, even if you weren't particularly looking forward to what was coming next. Her mother's excitement however was infectious in a way that sort of set the red head at ease. She was dreading what was about to happen, but at the same time she trusted her mother and she knew she wasn't expected to keep this stuff on if she didn't like it.

She sat down on the edge of the bed as her mother grabbed the chair from the desk and sat directly in front of her. Ranma watched, half curious half terrified as her mother unzipped the bag and produced several items and set them on the bed, before selecting one of the slim hard rectangular cases. At the back of the mind she kept reminding herself she was doing this for mother's benefit, and tried to relax as best she could with the stiff tension in her neck and shoulders.

'Now this won't take long at all,' her mother promised enthusiastically as she pressed down on the small latch, the top of the compact springing open to reveal two rows of skin tone colors on one side and on the other were two more rows of other various colors, ranging from blues and reds, yellows, purples and greens.

Already Ranma was starting to think this was a mistake.

'Oh don't look so resign,' her mother chided her gently. 'It's not like I'm gonna stick bamboo under your fingernails.'

'I would rather do that,' Ranma grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

'Oh don't be such a little girl,' her mother offered her a soothing smile while Ranma pouted darkly, until her resolve cracked and she couldn't help but return the smile at the smart ass remark; who knew her mother had such wit? Her mother's grin widened at the reaction. 'That's better, now stop squirming. I don't want to poke you in the eye dear.'

Ranma stretched the stiffness out of her neck, closed her eyes and straightened her posture as she stowed away her feelings. She tried to relax as best she could with a deep breath, hoping she could zone out until her mother was done, relying on her martial arts training to meditate through this ordeal. She nearly flinched though when she felt the first gentle touch against her closed eye lids, spreading whatever color her mother had selected. Relaxing wasn't quite as easy as it should have been and every part of her wanted to scream helplessly, but it wasn't long before the combination of her mother's light touch and effect of plunging herself in complete darkness caused her body to slowly let go of the tension she felt.

Hell, part of her nearly found it soothing, which was perfectly fine with another part of her that could have easily fallen asleep at that point. The unavoidable image of her being propped up on the bed, snoring and with a trail of drool running down the side of her face though helped to keep that side of her at bay and maintain her unfaltering posture, reminding herself that the sooner she let her mother finish, the sooner she could go and wash it all off and get back on track with the day.

She had to admit though – however reluctantly – this didn't feel nearly as bad as she thought it would, even if she still didn't feel completely comfortable with the idea of wearing makeup. It wasn't as much of a world ending event as she had made it out to be though.

As she sat there, letting her mind drift in the darkness of her own mind, it suddenly occurred to her out of nowhere that this must have been a pretty big thing for her mother. She wasn't an idiot, she knew her mother would love it if she was more capable of acting more like a girl, acting like a proper daughter that she could do all those things that most other mothers and daughters did together. It was bad enough that she had missed out on seeing her son grow from a child into a teenager, had missed so many things that she wasn't likely to get a second chance at and now she had a daughter that could never really substitute for the real thing. Ranma sometimes caught herself wishing she could just let go of her pride and allow herself to be more girly if for nothing more than giving something back to her mother, who had been there for her every step of the way in the last few months, always patient and understanding. Even if it wasn't something her mother expected from her.

She knew she was so damn lucky to have her mother, and that she should be more grateful that her mother wanted to be involved in her life and help with things where she could. When she thought about Akane and her sisters she knew they would give anything to be in her position, to have their mother back; sure Akane and Nabiki had Kasumi who was the closest thing they had to a mother now, but it would never be the same thing no matter how much they loved their older sister. These were things in her life, Ranma realized she took for granted; perhaps not consciously, but subconsciously she had taken her relationship with her mother for granted and perhaps that was because she had never been overly close with her father either and it just didn't naturally occur to her straight away how lucky she was.

For her mother, helping her anyway she could, even if it was with things that Ranma wouldn't normally consider doing herself was her way of creating memories with her. Something neither of them had with each other really except for the last few months. Sure her mother had been back in her life for nearly a little over a year now, but it wasn't until the last few months that they had both really started connecting. Her mother just wanted to have some memories they could share, that was all. It wasn't exactly how she had wanted it herself, but Ranma had wanted the same thing having grown up without her mother around and still knowing so little about her, so she wanted memories that she could share with her as well and look back on one day. She never would have imagined that it would take being trapped in her female form for the rest of her life to make it happen.

This _was _a small price to pay she thought with an inward smile.

It was a good fifteen or so minutes later when her mother finally put the finishing touches on and stood up with a satisfied look in her eyes. 'There, all finished.'

Ranma blinked a couple of times, still feeling a little nervous from when her mothers had told her to open her eyes and came dangerously close – or at least from Ranma's perspective – to stabbing her in the eye with little black pencils and weird looking brushes. It had scared the hell out of her the entire time but she didn't dare move nor make a single sound for fear of breaking her mother's concentration and losing an eye in the process, which would have been a riot trying to explain at the emergency ward…..

Awkwardly, she allowed herself to be pulled towards the mirror on the other side of the room, feeling odd about the whole situation. When she came to a stop in front of it though, she could only continue to blink in confusion at her reflection. At first glance it seemed as if nothing was different, turning her confusion into a frown because she as hell knew her mother hadn't just been pretending to apply the stuff.

It took her a few seconds before she suddenly realized the subtle shadowing along the outer edges of her eyes weren't shadows cast by the natural light that filled the room, but rather very gentle skin tones of eye shadow that created what looked like a very natural gradient of color. As soon as she saw the first difference, it didn't take long for her to spot the others. Her eye lashes were slightly darker than normal, fuller it seemed and lightly curled up, all of which made her already bright blue eyes suddenly look like a pair of sparkling sapphires in contrast. Finally there was the almost negligible glossy sheen that covered her lips.

'What do you think?' her mother asked calmly, but with a hint of smug self satisfaction in her otherwise warming smile as if she already knew the answer.

Ranma's mouth opened and closed but no words came out; she was too stunned to speak let alone form the words that came to mind. This wasn't at all like the time with Cologne on Toma's island. Then, the makeup had been so obvious and layered on so thick and without any skill and without the time to fix it she had to go forward as she was; but this… this was subtle but at the same time pronounced, in a natural sort of way that didn't make her look stupid.

In fact – and there was no way she could deny it – she looked good…..

'I'll take that as a sign of a job well done,' her mother added eventually when it became apparent that the red head didn't know what to say.

While the girl was distracted, her mother grabbed the near invisible thread of string that kept the girl's hair in the tightly constrictive pig tail and gave it a gentle tug, releasing the knot and letting the crimson tresses unfurl and spill out. Ranma didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late and by then her mother was expertly rearranging the mass of hair and had whipped a brush out from seemingly nowhere.

Ranma opened her mouth to protest.

'Before you say anything dear,' her mother cut her off, as if reading her mind. 'Trust me…..'

Ranma swallowed nervously as she stared at her reflection and carefully watched her mother over her shoulder, taking a deep breath to try and steady her suddenly rattled nerves. She had already come this far she thought privately to herself… she may as well see what it was her mother had in mind….

-0-

Time had a cruel way of playing tricks on the mind when it was forced to wait patiently. Ryoga knew that better than most, but never so much as he did at that moment. As the minutes ticked by, familiar insecurities gnawed away at his mind like ravenous lice. The longer he was forced to wait the more convinced he became that he was going to be leaving alone, certain that any minute one of the girls would come down and tell him Ranma had changed her mind. Not that he could blame her; this was a big step for her and he couldn't fault her if she decided this was a mistake, but it didn't ease the ache he was already feeling in his chest. It was a wicked and relentless torture that he failed to ignore completely, no matter how times he tried to push it to the back of his mind.

When the muffled shouts from upstairs reached, accompanied by the sound of a slamming door, he was sure the last nail in his coffin had been driven home. The fact that no one come had down though to tell him to get lost kept him glued in place on the off chance that he was just imagining things.

That had been a good half hour ago he thought idly, wondering what was taking her so long if she wasn't planning on ripping out his heart. He had heard of being fashionably late, but Ranma was taking it to an extreme.

As he stewed in his steadily growing worries, Ryoga noticed Genma's eyes suddenly widen and his mouth part slightly in shock; the young man frowned, wondering what the old man's problem was. The last time he had seen that look on the man's face was when he had brought Ranma home and had to explain to her father that she was trapped as a girl, but his hadn't been the only shocked face that day.

'What?' Ryoga asked, his curiosity getting the better of him when he realized the old man was staring behind him, not at him.

The young man twisted around to see what was so shocking, not sure what he was expecting to find as he turned and his eyes instinctively fell upon the source of Genma's surprise. No sooner had they though did his own eyes widen dramatically, time seeming to freeze in that moment as his heart stopped in mid beat and his mouth parted in a similar state of shock as the man's behind him. At first, his brain too slow to catch up with reality he wasn't sure who he was staring at, only that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

No, she wasn't a girl, she was a woman.

It took him a few seconds more before it finally sunk in that that this was Ranma!

She stood there dressed in simple jeans that hugged her curves in all the right ways, and a button up dark red shirt. Her crimson hair fell free from its deceptively short pig tail, most of it falling below her shoulder blades while two great masses split from the rest and fell in front of her, resting off her collar bone with bangs of hair that perfectly framed her face and a pair of eyes that seemed more like a pair of gems that sparkled incredibly under the lighting of the house. He'd noticed at times that her hair seemed to be getting longer over the past few months, but it wasn't until it was free of the pigtail that he realized just how long it actually was. And her eyes; he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he could have sworn her eyelashes were darker and thicker than he remembered.

Ryoga felt his mouth suddenly turn as dry as the Sahara, as he slowly and awkwardly climbed to his feet. Never once did he look away though, he couldn't bring himself to let his eyes drift from the sight of her, afraid that he might suddenly wake up to discover this was only a dream.

'Wow…..' was all he managed to whisper while a voice at the back of his mind cursed him for his limit vocabulary skills. His simple but profound reaction caused the three girls and Mrs. Saotome standing behind the incredible red head to grin widely.

Ranma's cheeks turned a rosy red as she fidgeted nervously when he stared a little too long in stunned amazement. 'I look ridiculous don't I?'

'You look amazing,' he said without thinking, causing her to blush even deeper which in turn caused his own cheeks to burn when he realized what he'd just said. Inwardly he scolded himself. _Real smooth Hibiki, real smooth._

Genma suddenly walked past, staring at the girl before him with a scrutinizing gaze that caused her to frown slightly, if not in embarrassment then in irritation, even when he finally backed off

'Ranma,' her father started, surprise registering on his face. 'Are….. Are you wearing…. Makeup?'

Even as he asked his voice cracked with the amusement of a man used to teasing his child and getting away with it, sucking in a great belly full of air to laugh. At the same time anger flashed across the red heads eyes and she drew her fist back to deck her old man, but her mother beat her to it, her fist punching her husband hard in the stomach with a surprisingly powerful blow that drove the air out of his lungs and dropped him on his knees in a heap, clutching at his gut as his face went red.

'Oh honey, does your stomach hurt?' Mrs. Saotome asked coolly, making all five teenagers balk wearily as she seemed to tower over him with an imposing air flowing around her. 'Would you like some help?'

Groaning loudly Genma shook his head quickly, doubling over in submission. 'I'm good…'

Ryoga wasn't entirely sure about that as he watched the idiot wither on the floor.

Satisfied her husband had learnt his lesson, Mrs. Saotome disappeared into another room for a few minutes before returning with a bundle wrapped in a fukoshiki. With a pleasant smile she handed Ryoga the carefully wrapped package. He blinked a little in confusion at the package, feeling the hard object inside the cloth.

'Ok you two, I think it's time you two were going,' she told them before he had time to investigate further, and started herding them towards the front door. 'Now, you both have a good time today alright.'

'And don't do anything we wouldn't do,' Ukyo said, before whisper teasingly to the red head, 'So have lots of fun.'

'Ukyo!' Ranma hissed, her face glowing bright red.

Ryoga looked away, pretending not to hear; Ranma's face wasn't the only that turned burned bright.

-0-

In all her life, Ranma had never felt as self conscious about her appearance as she did during the trip to the fair. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but she was sure everyone they passed was looking at her a little too intently, and whenever they passed some guys she could feel their lecherous gazes boring into her ass and the tight fitting jeans whenever they turned to look back at her.

Why had she let her mother talk her into going out like this!?

She wasn't even sure why she had ended up agreeing to keep the makeup on. It wasn't like she wanted to look pretty or any of that crap, but she couldn't argue with the result either; there wasn't enough of it that it was noticeable unless you looked closely. And then there was her hair! She hadn't realized just how long her hair had gotten until her mother had removed it from the pigtail and as much as she was loathed to admit it, it did feel better to be wearing it out for a change. Perhaps she did tie it up too tightly most of the time, but she was so used to it that the stinging pull at the base of her skull no longer bothered her; at least not until it was let out like this and she could feel the difference. Wearing her hair like this though still felt so alien...

It was becoming more and more obvious that her mother had manipulated her. She wasn't sure how, but she was sure she had. Ryoga's reaction though, hadn't been entirely unpleasant she had to admit with a small, inward smile. It was amazing how something so simple as causing awe struck silence in someone could cause such a warm glowing feeling in the pit of her stomach. Surprisingly, it was a sensation she thought she could get used to, in time...

Her cheeks flushed at that.

She looked up to see if Ryoga noticed but it quickly became apparent that he was caught up in his own thoughts as well. Just as well she thought, it would be hard enough to explain why she looked the way she did without explaining why she was blushing at random too...

To any casual outside observer though they looked like any other normal young couple out on their first date. They reeked of a nervousness and shy awkward silence; they had barely even said two words to each other since they'd left her place. It must have looked so adorable to anyone that cared to look, and from the number of knowing smiles they got from the older couples they passed along the way, that was a lot of people. Ranma couldn't help but think that they were far from anything resembling a normal couple though. If these people knew the truth about them, knew about their history then she was sure those looks would be a lot more perplexed. Yet they didn't even give them a second glance... Except for the guys that couldn't stop staring at her ass... To everyone else they were just a normal young couple...

Ranma wasn't sure that was something she should be happy about.

Ryoga seemed to be taking things a lot better than she was. Well outwardly at least. The kami only knew what was going through his head at the moment. The nervousness was still evident in his eyes, but there was a faint smile of goofiness that tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe this whole situation wasn't as strange for him as it was for her; sure, he was on a date with a girl that, under all her layers of cuteness was actually a guy, but he seemed to be able to look past that so easily. In fact he had accepted all of this a lot faster than she had once he had been forced to confront his own feelings on the subject of them. He had sought her out after all to ask her if she would go on a date with him. His out on a limb risk had already paid off with her saying yes.

Ranma couldn't help but smile, thinking she was glad she didn't have to worry about him trying to make her life a living hell or trying to kill her every fifteen minutes. It was easier to see the nice guy he really was under all that anger and frustration - that she would reluctantly admit she was partially the cause of - he thought he had needed to wrap himself in.

She had to admit, she liked this Ryoga more... The real Ryoga...

Despite her misgivings with the makeup and her hair and her self-conscious feelings in general, she was glad to be where she was, happy even that she had agreed to this. Yeah, it was weird being on a date with a guy when he didn't have something she needed to help her, or without being under the effects of some outside force. It was weird knowing that in her heart she wanted this. But, it was a good kind of weird, one that she didn't really know how to explain beyond that. All she knew for sure was that, for all her insecurities... She was happy...

-0-

There were so many people when they finally reached the fair. The crowd pulsed and rippled like a living organism as people walked idly around the grounds, going from stall to stall and side show games. The air was thick with the aroma of fast food, beckoning with the lure of deliciousness. And the noise! The cacophony of conversations, laughter and squeals as children ran between people's legs, caught up in their own fun little worlds. As if it were infused into every particle of air, the atmosphere of the place around them swarmed with the infectious excitement of the fair goers as they tried their luck at the side show games, found knick knacks and trinkets at various stalls and were enticed into the fun house and towards the other fun rides set up around the area.

Ranma could only gape in a mix of alarm and surprise as she stood there blinking rapidly at just how many people were there. She had only been expecting a small crowd, like the one Akane and the others had dragged her two when Cologne had inflicted her with the Full Body Cat's Tongue. She hadn't expected the crowd to be so huge; the sheer amount of people left her feeling a little uneasy and more self conscious than before.

'Ranma, you ok?' Ryoga looked at her worriedly. 'You looked a little out of it for a second there.'

She blinked rapidly and rubbed the back of her neck uneasily. 'Yeah... Sorry, just a little surprised at all the people that are here.'

'We don't have to stay if you don't want to,' he offered reasonably.

The red head offered a reassuring smile, that wasn't just for his benefit. 'No, I'm fine. Come on, let's look around.'

She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the mass of people before he had time to blink, pushing aside all thoughts about her appearance; she decided it was time to a bit more of an active approach to all this. She owed Ryoga that. He had already taken a big chance by asking her out, knowing full well that she would have likely said no, and had even given her the space she'd ask for when she told him she needed to think about it when he could have easily hounded for an answer every day. Furthermore she had said yes, so she couldn't very well be all distant and detached since she wanted this as well; that wouldn't be fair to him.

So she was going to have a good time damn it!

It certainly wasn't going to kill her to try at least, and the kami knew she had earned at least that much after the last few months she had been through.

-0-

Ryoga wasn't sure what happened between leaving the Saotome's and arriving at the fare, but the sudden change in Ranma's disposition was like a breath of fresh air and like a weight lifting off his shoulders. Ever since Ranma had agreed to the date, he stewed and paced in his own nervousness leading up to this day and waiting for her at the house had been the most nerve wrecking torture he had endured for a long time. It all seemed to pale in comparison to trying to make small talk on the way to the fare. He didn't think it was much better for her, but it was if someone had tied his tongue in a series of knots; string even one word together was nearly impossible, let alone whole sentences.

And then there were the stares. He didn't really care about the looks they got from the smiling couples that saw them. No, he was irritated with the appraising and barely masked lecherous looks Ranma got from almost every guy they passed. It was a stupid thing to let get to him, he knew that, especially given the fact that it was Ranma for crying out loud, but he didn't like them staring at her like she was a piece of sashimi. Despite that, he managed to keep a tight leash on his annoyance, knowing that if he lashed out at them because of it, she would deck the ever loving shit out of him for being all macho over her.

That didn't mean he had to like it though.

That being said, he could hardly blame them. Ranma looked absolutely incredible and it was hard even for him to remind himself who he was on a date with.

With how quiet she had been during the walk though, he feared that maybe she was changing her mind about this whole thing, so it was a relief to see her entire demeanor suddenly brighten when they got to the fair. Perhaps they both just needed the distraction of fun to take their mind off the strange situation they found themselves in. Maybe once they started having fun and enjoying themselves they wouldn't feel so tense and or nervous anymore; although he wasn't sure things would ever completely be normal between them, not now that they had both admitted their feelings and relented to the push their feelings were giving them. What was the alternative though? Pretend those feelings didn't exist and feel miserable about it for the rest of their lives, living a lie that would eventually eat them apart.

No thanks.

He would rather see where all this was taking them, and if it ended badly, so be it. At least then they would know for sure and they wouldn't have the inevitable _"what if"_ questions hanging over their heads for the rest of their lives.

That was something to worry about in the future though.

For the time being he was going to enjoy himself.

-0-

They maneuvered through the crowd to the numerous side show attractions where people tried their luck at the various games; most of them walking away in disgust and disappointment after losing badly. Such was far from the case when Ranma and Ryoga stepped up to the first of what would be many games. With their unique skill levels and near inhuman abilities, the game operators didn't stand a chance.

Ranma grinned wildly as she plucked up the ratty old baseball and felt it over in her small hand, finding the best grip while trying to ignore the patronizing sleazy smile the operator gave her as he watched from the corner of the booth, cockily confident in whatever failsafe he had put in place to cheat people out of their money; he had no idea who he was dealing with though. When the little red head let the ball fly it seemed to spiral through the air and smashed smack bang into the stack of bottles with enough force to send them flying in every direction, while the ball tore through the back of the booth, leaving a splintered hole in the wooden slats. The booth operator could only gape in disbelief as Ranma let loose a victory laugh.

The victory laugh was cut abruptly short when the game operator begrudgingly handed over a giant yellow stuffed unicorn toy. Ryoga couldn't help but snort at the troubled frown on her face as she reluctantly accepted the prize that was easily nearly twice the size of her. Too embarrassed to carry it around, she foisted it off on a little girl, whose eyes suddenly turned as wide as saucers at the incredible gift. That didn't stop Ryoga's snickering though, much to the crimson faced red head, seeming to relish in her embarrassment.

Ranma soon got her chance to get pay back when Ryoga was roped in by another operator running a strength testing game, the kind where you slam a sledge hammer down on a pressure sensor to see how high you could make the weight shoot up the length of the meter. Ryoga rolled his eyes at the simplistic game and the operator's obvious attempts to play on his male ego and pride, thinking that trying to make him sound weak or scared in front of Ranma would get to him. It wouldn't have. Not until Ranma joined in on the act, urging him on with a sickening sweet and obviously fake tone, until he agreed to have a go. It was clear from the look on the operator's triumphant grinning face that he thought he had just made some easy cash.

Until Ryoga picked the oversized sledge hammer up with one hand and handled it as easily as though it were a baseball bat. Spinning the hammer around absently to test the balance, Ryoga stepped up to the spot and without any effort, he smashed the weapon down on the pressure spot, and like a rocket the heavy weight confined within the meter shot up and smashed clean through the top and disappeared into the sky.

The game operator looked at his broken rig, his jaw hanging slack before he turned to stare at the two of them, and then back at the rig again, struggling to process it all. When he looked back again Ryoga could only shrug.

When the operator recovered enough to angrily hand over the prize, Ranma burst into hysterical laughter; Ryoga could only frown as he found himself holding a large stuffed pink pig that looked way too eerily familiar. Ranma doubled over, holding her stomach as she rubbed away the tears of laughter.

'Oh it's not that funny!' he huffed.

They flowed from booth to booth, checking out the different games. There were ones where they both played, competing with each other more than they were with the game itself. It wasn't long before they started gathering a crowd around them, word of their exploits quickly spreading around the fair with people coming to watch as they easily beat the operators at their own games. It didn't hurt that they ended up giving away the oversized and often embarrassing toys meant for small children.

All in all it was a good time.

The nervousness and awkwardness of earlier was all but forgotten in the wake of the fun. They drew strange looks for the simple fact that they didn't act anything like most normal couples, and the competitive aggressiveness between them.

No one could say the two of them weren't having a good time though.

There were many stalls selling trinkets and knick knacks, others catering to hopeful romantics looking for "magic charms" and talismans and other items of supposed power. Nothing Ranma would ever waste her money on, but given their history she knew Ryoga had brought more than a few of these sort of things in the past so call it paranoia or instinct but she chose to steer him clear of those. Really she was more worried about a repeat of the koi rod incident, and there was no way in hell she was going to let that happen; not that Ryoga seemed to notice her deliberate maneuvering as they went from stall to stall.

The stall owners to their credit tried hard to get them to buy something, trying every trick in their book to make a sale. The most popular and ineffective trick play they made was trying to get Ryoga to buy something pretty for his "girlfriend." Under any other circumstance, Ranma would have probably been disgusted or indignant about it, but the troubled, almost panic stricken look in Ryoga's eyes, the trapped look of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car was the most hilarious thing she had ever seen. She thought of playing with his mind, but decided she couldn't be that cruel to him; it was only by her mercy that she pulled him away from the manipulative stall owners and onward to another.

'Aw! Not again!'

Ranma stopped and turned at the disappointed whine. There was a little boy standing at one of the game booths looking annoyed and frustrated. She frowned as she looked at the booth, something familiar about it sparking a nerve in her mind. like she had seen it before. Her curiosity peaked she started over to it, leaving Ryoga looking at something at one of the stalls.

'This game is rigged!' the little boy accused angrily.

The stall owner exhaled a puff of bluish gray smoke after a long drag on his cigarette and shrugged. 'You can't do it, that's your problem kid.'

When she stepped up to the stall, Ranma's eyes widened slightly in recognition as she stared at the long rectangular tank filled nearly to the brim with water and dozens of goldfish swimming about inside. Sure enough she recognized the sleazy looking guy inside the booth and the ragged scar running across one eye.

'You!' she pointed at him accusingly. 'I remember you from that other fair.'

The guy frowned and squinted at her. 'I think you're mistaken babe, I think I would remember a hot piece of ass like you.'

'Oh I'd recognize someone as ugly as you anywhere,' she frowned angrily as her face turned red with embarrassment 'Because of you I nearly got eaten alive by those damn piranhas!'

Like a flash the man's eyes widened dramatically. 'Oh no, not you again, you almost ruined me last time!'

Ranma snorted as she crossed her arms and stared at the broken net paddle in the little boys hands, and then back at the booth operator. 'You're still running this same old scam? Cheating kids out of their money, have you no shame?'

'It's not a scam,' the man thumped his fist against a wooden beam. 'It's not my fault they don't know what they're doing.'

'Oh sure, you just happen to give them paddles that are weaker than tissue paper. I know what you're about buddy,' she glared dangerously.

Ryoga suddenly walked up beside her, looking perplexed. 'Something wrong?'

Ranma looked at the man behind the fish tank. 'We were just discussing how he's going to compensate the kid.'

'The kid lost fair and square toots, I don't owe him anything,' the game operator crossed his arms stubbornly. 'Now you and your boyfriend scram, before I get security.'

Ranma leant on the edge of the fish tank and pierced him with a deadly glare, ignoring the fact that they were starting to draw a crowd of lookie lous curious to find out what was going on. 'Either you give him his money back and a couple of fish for his trouble, or I'll win them all again, and I'm even faster now than I was back then. So, what's going to be? You gonna do the decent thing, or are you gonna have a going out of business sale?'

The two of them glared at each other as the gathered crowd held a collective breath of anticipation, staring back and forth between the two, waiting for one to crack.

Ryoga just stood there looking confused…..

A few minutes later the crowd dispersed with the game operator handing over a bag of fish and a small wad of cash to the little boy, cursing the red head walking away with a grin of satisfaction on her face.

'I'm hungry,' she suddenly announced. 'Let's go eat.'

-0-

By the time they pulled themselves away from the myriad of games and found a spot to sit down and eat at the picnicking area, Ranma was absolutely famished. Between sticking it to the cocky - and no doubt by now irate - game operators and the thick aroma of foods hanging in the air, she had worked up one hell of an appetite that needed to be appeased. Her stomach growled insistently as she took the wrapped bentos from Ryoga before he'd even finished sitting down and started to undo the fukoshiki.

When she looked up Ryoga was still standing there, looking down at the ground with a troubled frown.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

'Um...' he kept looking at the ground, as if trying to decide what he should do.

She rolled her eyes; she could almost see the panic rising on his face.

'Ryoga, I don't mind if you sit next to me,' the corner of her mouth quirked into a half smile, which suddenly faltered and slipped away as she coughed and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. 'I...I mean, that is... you know, if you want to sit next to me... you don't have to...'

Before she could ramble on even further and make a complete jackass of herself, Ryoga sat down next to her. Both of them were red faced, not that they realized that since they couldn't look each other in the face.

'Here,' she finally managed, quickly passing the second bento box to him without looking up, trying to maintain a casual indifference, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

She failed…miserably…..

After a couple of seconds, he took it from her hesitantly, handling it with the same care one would a priceless relic. 'You made this?'

'You sound surprised,' Ranma remarked, trying desperately to make the heat in her cheeks go away. 'You know I can cook.'

He shrugged in a nonchalant sort of manner, but there was a soft sheepishly quality to his voice that didn't match his body language. 'Well yeah. I just mean, I didn't expect you to go to this sort of trouble.'

'It wasn't any trouble at all, besides it's not like it's anything fancy,' she explained as she took up her chopsticks, before forcing herself to look him in the eye. 'And I thought this was better than wasting money on food here.'

Ryoga looked up to meet her gaze, blinking slowly in thought, before replying. 'Now you sound like Nabiki.'

Even as he grinned, Ranma punched him in the arm, wincing as her tiny fist bounced off his rock hard bicep. 'Just, shut up and eat it already, ok?'

Silence descended upon the two as they quietly ate, not with their typical gusto though. They ate slowly, thoughtfully as they reflected on the day so far. Ranma was so caught up in her thoughts that she really didn't take much notice of the morsels of food she popped in her mouth, staring straight ahead as a storm thoughts began to well up in her head. The nervous awkwardness they'd managed to avoid was starting to worm its way back in. She didn't know what to say, what to talk about and she couldn't help but wonder if this was what it would always be like between them? Or, would it get easier to be themselves around each other as time passed?

The late afternoon sun descended slowly towards the horizon, an orange glob of light that cast long shadows across the city. More people seemed to emerge from different entrances to the park, the sound of the fair rising to a maelstrom of squealing children and ruckus of adults joining the noise of games and the symphony of sounds that accompanied the approaching night. Ranma hadn't realized just how long they had been out for until she looked up at the sky splashed with dark oranges and felt the chill of the cool evening breeze penetrate the illogically thin material of her shirt, making her shiver and wishing she had thought to wear something thicker.

The red head, still munching absently on her meal gazed around the picnicking area that overlooked the canals and at the numerous young families that were around. One couple caught her eye, the man and woman caught somewhere between their late twenties and early thirties playing with a little boy that looked barely older than two. As she watched, hazy memories long forgotten rose unbidden to the surface of her mind. Memories of another family, at another time many years ago from her early childhood. It was a memory she realized with a small amount of surprise of a family outing her parents had taken her on. A picnic maybe, her parents young and happy. She didn't even realized she had memories that went back that far...

Not for the first time, but she wondered how very different her life may have been if her father had never taken her away to train, or if her mother had simply refused to let him do it. Would she still be the top class fighter she was now? Would she have ever met Akane or Ryoga or any of her friends for that matter? It was impossible to imagine. She could say what she wanted about her father, but she would admit - albeit grudgingly - that for all his many, many faults he knew what he was doing when he trained her. She definitely wouldn't be the fighter she was without his grueling and often times, insane training...

Knowing what she had gone through growing up, learning the way she had, she wondered if she could put her own children through that…

Suddenly Ranma's eyes widened in shock.

Her children….?

Where the hell had that come from?

She blinked, feeling her body freeze in place, her mouth going dry as sand. She could have children…. she could bear children. The realization shook her to her core. Certainly it wasn't the first time this had crossed her mind, and her mother had mentioned it once or twice, but she had never really let herself think about it, never really considered it beyond the second it took to dismiss it whenever it came up, the very idea turning her stomach to bile that rose up in her throat and made her want to gag. The thought of doing….. of having…. as a girl for crying out loud! No, the idea had made her want to throw up and wasn't worth dwelling on so she never thought about, she had never wanted to think about it.

But now….. now she didn't know

Had she really changed that much in just a couple of months that the very idea of getting pregnant - as crazy and whacked out as it seemed - no longer repulsed her to the point of feeling physical ill? She wasn't sure she liked the thought of waddling around with a parasite growing inside her, feeding off her, or that it meant she would have to do….. do that of all things, in order to fall pregnant in the first place! But, at the same time…. it was starting to feel more and more like it wasn't the worst thing in the world?

What did that say about her?

Was she growing up… or was part of her starting to give up…..?

No that was ridiculous, she wasn't giving up, never that. She was too stubborn to give up. Besides it wasn't like she wanted kids now, even if she couldn't see it happening ever, who knew what was going to happen years from now, how she might change by then, how she might mature…... Ok, maybe the idea of doing _that_, was disgusting and wrong on more levels than she could count, but she never thought she would willingly go out with a guy either, much less have feelings for one, which had been just as disgusting too. So it begged the question, would she always feel the way about falling pregnant that she did now? Right now she was just a stupid teenager who was slowly starting to realize that you could never stay exactly who you are at any given time, that change was part of life and it could strike without warning… Who was to say what the future held for her, somewhere down the track in the distant future.

'Are you ok?'

Ranma snapped out of her thoughts and glanced around to find Ryoga staring at her worriedly. She looked down, realizing she put her half finished bento on the ground and was clutching at her belly. In a flash she snatched her hands away in a panic, as if she had just been bitten by something, flushing scarlet.

'I'm fine!' she all but squeaked in embarrassment.

At the back of her mind though she wailed angrily; he probably thought she had gas or something!

'I was just thinking about something from a long time ago that's all,' she explained quickly. 'More remembering something that I had forgotten. I remembered my parents bringing me to a fair I think, when I was just a really little kid…. heh, maybe my mind is just is making junk up to mess with me. It's stupid.'

Ryoga was quiet for a little while, staring straight ahead at the darkening park, thinking about something intently, before smiling in softly. 'My parents never did anything like that with me, because of our bad sense of direction and all; they were too scared I would wonder off, or they would. Well, that's not true. They did try a couple of times but we just ended up getting lost, but I remember my father would always try to make it seem like we were on some sort of amazing adventure instead of just being plain lost.'

'That sounds nice. Growing up the way I did, training day after day with Pops didn't leave much time for goofing off,' Ranma couldn't help but smile along with him. Then she snorted, shaking her head. 'That's probably why I used to act like such an immature jerk when we settled down in Nerima, trying to make up for lost time I suppose. Not that that's much of an excuse…'

'I think we were both guilty of that,' Ryoga replied thoughtfully.

Ranma only nodded slightly as she started on the rest of her bento, not sure that was entirely true. Sure, he had been a pain in her ass for a long time and took petty pot shots at her when he could... but, she was willing to bet that most of that could have been avoided if she hadn't goaded him all the time, knowing she could get under his skin and get the reaction she wanted out of him. How many times had she driven him to breaking point teasing him about his feelings for Akane, or taunting him during a fight, acting as if his problems didn't matter at all.

She sighed under her breath; so many things she had done were so stupid and mean, it really was a wonder he had any feelings for her... But she supposed of all their friends and foes, the two of them really had been only people they knew they could rely on in a pinch. Ryoga proved that much when he protected her during the whole Moxibustion fiasco, and she had done the same for him numerous times as well.

'This is strange isn't it?' she asked suddenly, staring up at the sky thoughtfully but with an amused smile. 'Us... on a date...'

Ryoga could only nod as he replied. 'Yeah, it really is.'

She looked at him, somewhat seriously. 'But, is it weird in a good way or a bad way?'

'I don't know,' he shrugged, not in "I don't care" sort of way, rather it was a shrug of uncertainty. But then he looked at her, meeting her gaze with one of his trademark, if not rare good natured grins. 'I know I've had a good time so far though, so it can't be all that bad can it?'

Ranma found she could only blink as she stared at him, the words refusing to come straight away. Kami, he really was a good guy wasn't he? It only made her regret the way she used to treat him even more. How was she supposed to make up for all the stupid things she had done to him? And the way she had blamed him when she first woke up to discover she was stuck this way, and still he had been there to help her through the trials she had faced since, helping - albeit unknowingly - to vent the anguish and anger she felt at losing her male form, helping to rescue her from Yukino and then to overcome the brainwashing and again in the ice cave he'd sheltered her when he didn't have.

Now he says the right thing, at just the right time...

It surprised her though; she was used to the bumbling idiot that tripped over his own tongue and had trouble talking to girls, the fool she easily manipulated on a weekly, if not daily basis. It was easy to forget that he had other sides to him, usually hidden under layers of insecurity, depression and a quick fuse on his anger. But, he did have them. It was the side of him that made Akane defend him instinctively and trust him. The side that he had shown for Akari. No, she wasn't used to dealing with this Ryoga.

Ranma shook her head very slightly, so slightly that it was practically unnoticeable.

She looked away, staring at the ground. 'Thanks, Ryoga.'

'Thanks for what?' he frowned as he tilted his head, perplexed.

'Just...' she hesitated slightly, glancing up slightly with a small smile. 'Just, for being you.'

-0-

The two of them finished their lunch with only a few more words spoken between them, and after drinking in the strangely serene scenery around them they returned to the funfair. It was something unspoken, but they knew their first date was drawing to a close and then they would have to see where all this was taking them. There were so many things they were unsure of at that point, things that probably came naturally in normal relationships, but they both knew this was anything but a normal relationship.

That was something to worry about for another day though.

More people seemed to stream into the fair as the day grew late, turning the already crowded park into a sea of people. The nervousness Ranma had felt being out and around other people looking like she did had since passed, especially after it finally sunk in that to everyone around her thought she was just any regular girl, so as long as she didn't draw any attention to herself by acting overly weird, no one would give her so much as a second thought…. well, except the guys that kept checking her out which was really starting to piss her off, but what could she do? Pummel the next jerk that stared a few seconds longer than was appropriate….. there was an idea. No, she shook her head of that thought; she couldn't turn into another Akane.

Unless someone touched her ass, and then she was gonna rip their arms off before they had time to scream. Thankfully no one had used the cover of the crowd to cop a feel. She wasn't entirely sure she would be able to find the pervert in this mass of people if someone did try.

'Hey, you two!'

A hand clamped down on Ranma's shoulder and spun her around. Unfortunately years of training and instinct kicked in and before the owner of the hand knew what was happening, Ranma had wreathed his arm up behind his back and doubled him over.

'Hey, what are you doing!?' the man cried in alarm, his free arm flailing wildly as people parted around them. 'Let me go, I just wanted to ask you a question damn it!'

Ranma frowned. 'Well you shouldn't grab people like that!'

'Well I assure you miss that won't happen again,' the man replied sourly as she let go and he rubbed his arm carefully, before letting his expression shift to one of amazement as he shook his head. 'Wow, you're packing a lot of strength for such a tiny thing.'

Ranma bristled angrily at that, but before she could do anything Ryoga laid a calming hand on her shoulder, bringing her up short and said. 'What did you want to ask?'

The man blinked with a blank stare, before realization filled his eyes a second later. 'Oh right, right. You two are the couple that were causing all the fuss around here earlier weren't you, beating all those games, right?'

Both of them shifted a little uneasily at where he was going with this.

'Yeah, what it's to yah buddy?' Ranma asked suspiciously.

'We have a competition that's about to get underway and we thought you might be interested in participating in given how well you both performed in the other games,' he explained, staring back and forth between the two of them. 'It's very competitive.'

This time it was Ryoga who asked. 'What sort of competition?'

The guy smiled proudly. 'It's a Couples Food Eating Contest.'

Ranma blinked in surprise. 'Are martial arts involved?'

The guy frowned slightly in confusion, staring at her like she had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. 'No... It's just a normal food eating competition... Why would anyone create a martial arts food eating competition? That's just stupid.'

The red head huffed and crossed her arms. 'Well obviously you've never gone on a training trip with a greedy father who'd tie you up just out of reach of your food and make you fight for the right to eat….'

Both the organizer and Ryoga just stared at her.

'Well its true!' she snapped defensively.

'Anyway,' the organizer said slowly, moving on. 'One of our couples just dropped out so we have an spot opened. Since the two of you have gained a bit of fame around here today we would love it if you two would participate.'

'I don't think so,' Ranma shrugged and started to turn.

'Wait!' the organizer said quickly. 'If you win you get to eat for free for a year at our Sponsor's restaurant.'

Ranma was suddenly in front of the organizer before he could blink, with his hands clasped between her own, her eyes wide and bright with excitement, causing him to try and back up uneasily. Even Ryoga flinched with the speed of her sudden, and somewhat unsettling shift.

'We'll do it!'

Before they had a chance to change their minds, the organizer pulled them through the sea of people. Soon they found themselves being led up on to a stage platform that been erected on the other side of the fair. People were already gathered around to watch and there were a bunch of other couples already waiting at tables that had been set up to look as if they were straight out of a restaurant, complete with table cloths, napkins and a huge jug of water with glasses.

As soon as they stepped on to the stage the other contestants looked at them with open hostility and aggressive competitiveness. All of them looked determined to win, but one woman in particular, who was - to be delicate - rather large stared at Ranma with instant dislike and contempt, sizing her up the same way a bear would its prey.

The woman scoffed arrogantly at her, before whispering to her partner, probably her husband. 'I give her three bites before she's out.'

The man chortled lowly.

'Oh really?' Ranma asked, her hands on her hips as she eyed the woman over with a challenging smirk, before taking her seat. 'We'll see about that.'

The woman gave her dirty sneer of a look that the red head met with a determined gleam in her eyes. At that moment though an announcer walked on to stage with a microphone in one hand and dressed in a somewhat classy suit. He screamed sleazy all over though, in Ranma's opinion at least as she watched him, in that way most game show presenters came across as.

'Sorry about the delay folks,' the Announcer's voice boomed over the crowd of onlookers. 'Welcome to our annual Food Eating Competition. This year our five teams consist of couples, boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, all competing for the grand prize; For one year our lucky couple will be able to eat for a year, at our Sponsor's restaurant, The Sakura Lounge located in Central Shinjuku, Shinjuku's most romantic dining option for those in love!'

Ranma's eyes widened at that; she turned to find Ryoga's were just as wide.

'Aww crap,' she muttered under breath. Of course it was a restaurant that catered to couples, why else would they sponsor a Couples Eating contest! If it got around Furinkan that they entered the contest, Ukyo and Nabiki would never let her live it down. Damn it.

'Now, on to what our five couples will be eating today,' the Announcer suddenly moved on. 'Bring out the main course ladies!'

At the sound of squeaky wheels, Ranma turned around to see a bunch of women dressed in identical uniforms emblazoned with The Sakura Lounge name across left side of their chest and pushing metal serving trolleys loaded with small towers of food hidden under a white sheet. They quickly and efficiently loaded one of the towers on to each of the tables. As soon as the unknown meal was placed in front of them Ranma could smell it through the sheet, a frown wrinkling her brow in thought; there was something familiar about this scent, she just couldn't place it.

'Ladies, if you would please reveal what's hidden beneath those sheets to both our audience and the contestants?' the Announcer asked them, his slick oily smile never leaving the crowd before him.

At the same time the women yanked the sheet away. Ranma and Ryoga's eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. All stacked neatly in front of them on a silver serving tray was a pile of bread, but not just any bread.

It was curry bread.

'The treats tonight are curry bread, courteous of the chefs at The Sakura Lounge. The rules are simple folks, the couple that eats the most, wins. The couples must completely consume a bun in order for it to be counted and failing to keep it down means they will be immediately disqualif-'

Without warning, laughter cut the Announcer off, laughter that rose into a roar that silenced the crowd. One by one everyone turned, and stared straight Ranma and Ryoga, the both of them doubled over, holding their stomachs as they laughed hysterically. Neither of them gave a damn about the strange looks they were getting or that more than a few of the people thought they had suddenly gone nuts.

There was nearly tears in the pair's eyes.

Of all the things they could have put in front of them... it was suddenly like they were back in junior high, right at the beginning of the infamous bread feud. This was some divine comical fate.

'Oh we've got this,' Ranma announced suddenly with a grin that went from ear to ear. 'Better get that prize ready!'

The Announcer faltered at their antics, his expression shifting from a frown to one of bewilderment.

'Riiiight…' Slowly he recovered his composure though, turning his attention back to the crowd. 'Alright folks, you know how this works, so Couples on my mark! 1…., 2…., 3….Eat!'

-0-

Ranma laughed as they left the fair. 'I can't believe they thought they could beat me. The looks on their faces was priceless!'

The sky was turning a darker shade of purple by the time they left the fair. Night wasn't far off, and with the approaching darkness lanterns hung in the trees throughout the park came to life with a soft glow that made the sakura pedals turn a beautiful, but ghostly white, casting strange shadows all over the place. It was a lovely sight that for any other couple would have been wonderfully romantic, but if the two of them noticed it all its beauty and the mood setting, it was lost on them.

The competition had been less of a contest than it was an excuse to stuff their faces for free. The other contestants hadn't known what to do once the two of them started. They hadn't give the other competitors much time to recover and before anyone knew it the two of them had already cleaned through their first "tower" of curry bread buns and were on to their second when everyone else was half way through their first. For Ranma and Ryoga it was like Junior High all over again, in that purgatory of first come first serve, full of ravenous and bottomless guts waiting to devour everything in sight.

All boys schools were hell…

Well… theirs had been at least. Ranma was starting to learn that the norm for them wasn't exactly the same for everyone else….

Ryoga snorted dryly. 'Yeah, because who would ever suspect the four foot eight girl that weighs twenty pounds soaking wet of being able to eat five times her weight in curry bread.'

'I didn't eat that much!' the red head protested in embarrassment, glancing around at some of the strange looks she got from the various people walking by. She pointed accusingly at him. 'Besides buddy, you ate just as much as I did, piggy!'

Ryoga glanced at her with exaggerated thoughtfulness. 'You know, I don't think that's true.'

'Oh shut up,' Ranma waved him off indignantly with a flick of her hand, before fishing out a folded piece of paper out of her pants pocket with the other. 'Point is, we get to eat for free now whenever we want to, thanks to this piece of paper and if you keep teasing me you can go back to eating instant ramen over a camp fire for all I care, so there!' Without warning Ryoga suddenly snatched the paper out of her hand with a smirk, much to her annoyance. 'Hey give that back!'

'This offer is only available to the winning couple. Both must be present in order to use said offer otherwise they will have to pay for their meal,' he read out aloud with, his eyes gleaming with a cocky arrogance when he looked up from the page at her. 'Well it looks like you're stuck with my teasing if you want to use this, so there!

Ranma snatched the paper back from him with a petulant pout.

'Don't push me buddy, I'm very creative when I want to be.' With that she went back to eating her ice cream. When Ryoga's face screwed up in disbelief as he watched her. 'What?'

'How can you still have room for that after all that we just ate?' he asked.

She blinked blankly at him, as if she didn't understand the question. 'There's always room for ice cream.'

Ryoga snorted a half laugh as he shook his head at her.

The two of them walked for a long time in silence, heading home towards Nerima as the night arrived and dismissed the last straggling remnants of day. The trip back felt dramatically lighter than the journey to the fair, so much of the nervousness and awkwardness of that that had been with them earlier had disappeared and their moods were considerably lighter. Ranma knew she was feeling so much better than she was earlier, smiling unconsciously; she didn't even give a damn about the fact that she was wearing makeup or the way she looked with her hair down. She'd had fun today, despite the doubts that had gnawed at her. Hell, the eating contest alone was more fun than she'd had in months and she wasn't going to let something so stupid as makeup bring her down now.

For the first time she wasn't worried about anything. Maybe it was just a high from having a good time, maybe the worries and doubt would come again when she had time to properly digest the day she'd just had, but that was something that she would deal with when it happened. She just wanted to savor this feeling for as long as was possible and nothing was going to ruin that for her. And frankly…

Frankly she was sick of feeling guilty for being happy. She was sick of wasting her life worried about how she was acting or what people thought of her. She lived in a place that was full of freaks and oddities and everyone accepted it with barely more than a second glance most of the time…

So this was her, not feeling guilty anymore.

Before long they were back in Nerima, familiar streets and landmarks becoming clear as they walked the darkened streets. Lights glowed in the windows of the houses they passed, inside families were sitting down to eat and settling in for the night. The strange quiet after being so close to the city and the hustle and bustle made the silence around them now all the more deafening. Absently the red head realized they weren't all that far from the Tendo's.

'I had a good time today,' Ryoga suddenly announced as he came to an abrupt stop, breaking the silence and startling Ranma out of her thoughts.

'Ah, so did I,' she replied, before smiling slightly. 'Even if it was a bit awkward to start with.'

Ryoga shifted a little nervously. 'I… I hope we can do this again…'

Ranma blinked a little in surprise, feeling her cheeks heat a little; for all the times she had been chased and hit on by sleaze bags and perverts, she really wasn't used to being on the receiving end of all this.

'I'd like that too,' she answered finally, averting her eyes self consciously.

Which meant she didn't see the huge goofy grin right away that spread across Ryoga's face at her answer, like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. When she did eventually look up to see the grin, she couldn't help but smile along with him; there was something oddly satisfying about seeing him smile so joyfully after how awkward their date had started off. As far as she was concerned this was a good ending to what was undeniably an extremely strange day.

She was glad he had worked up the nerve to ask her out, because she wasn't sure she could have mustered the courage to do it herself.

Maybe she was still riding the high from having such a good time or maybe it was something else altogether, but she as she stared up at him she couldn't begin to explain the compulsive allure that suddenly hijacked her body. She was rising slowly on the balls of her feet towards him before she knew what she was doing. Ryoga flinched with surprise, but he didn't pull away, he stood there transfixed by her gaze as his hands reached up to gently grasp her upper arms. Panic and excitement rushed through the back of her mind but in that moment she couldn't react to it, as if she was viewing everything from outside herself. She felt his breath tickle her mouth, her heart beating faster as he drew closer.

His lips were just brushing hers when a car blasted by, its tire slicing through a puddle that sent a shower of water flying up against them.

All at once the spell was broken and Ranma found herself blinking at empty air in the space of a heart beat. Slowly she looked down at the pile of clothes and the wriggling lump inside it; all of a sudden the little black pig's head emerged after a struggle with the labyrinth of cloth, and stared up at her with wide bewildered eyes.

Ranma couldn't help but laugh as she squatted down in front of the sorry looking animal on the balls of her feet. 'You know, that's something I definitely don't miss about the curse.'

Ryoga grunted and squealed a response that ended with a heaving sigh of resignation as he realized she couldn't understand him; although she imagined it was something very sarcastic from the tone of the noise. Ranma helped him wriggle free of the clothes. She shook her head in amusement at him.

'Come on Ryoga,' she said as she gathered him and his clothing up in her arms. 'Let's go find you some hot water so you can turn back to normal.'

As the red head stood up, she lifted her gaze at the sound of something hitting the ground, and froze...

Standing only a few feet away with a bag of groceries spilt across the ground next to her, was Akane... staring with wide unblinking eyes and a slack jaw at the black piglet in the red head's arms. No one moved for the longest time, a low breeze whistling by in the dark, time seeming to slow to an abrupt halt.

'P...P-chan,' Akane stammered quietly in shock. 'Is... Ryoga...'

Ranma gulped.

'Oh crap...'

_**To Be Continued…..**_

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

**A/N:**

**If you're exhausted after reading this, imagine how I felt writing it _ **

**ok, first things first; the Makeup.**

**I'm really not sure if people will really have a problem with this but I know this was something that is out of character for Ranma. I didn't have her use makeup because it was out of character, I did it because it was for Ranma and Nodoka to have a moment. I don't know if this is something mothers typically help their daughters with because, well frankly I'm an only child and I'm a guy, however this was something I could see Nodoka helping Ranma with. The makeup was a device to give Ranma that epiphany of how lucky she is compared to, say the Tendo girls.**

**Additionally I'm not sure I really got Nodoka's explanation about the use of Makeup right because, again I'm a guy and I have no experience with the stuff, so I really hope it made sense in the long run. Especially the stuff about expression and comparing it to personal fighting styles, I just needed something that Ranma could relate to.**

**Originally I wasn't going to do Makeup, there was gonna be something else, but I wanted to do something that might make her feel self conscious and vulnerable at first, something that would throw her a little bit and put her off her game and after a suggestion from one of my beta's I decided to go with using Makeup and quite frankly I'm glad I did. I personally think it worked out well and I honestly don't regret using it regardless of any backlash I get over it.**

**Writing the date was particularly difficult, balancing that awkward nervousness of a first date with the fact that they're far from a normal couple and that it was a situation they never expected to find themselves in together. Quite honestly I probably could have made the date more detailed an involved, but frankly I got to a point where I figured that "montage" moment covering a whole heap of things would ultimately work better than going into detail over something that honestly would have taken me another couple of months. So given the alternative, the "montage" was better than nothing.**

**Really I am worried that the date itself wasn't long enough, but I honestly don't think I could have made it longer without wasting more months, not weeks, months working on it and it would have turned out a steaming pile of shit, so I chose the lesser of evils, since the primary goal was Ranma and Ryoga having a good time and frankly a first date shouldn't be about quantity, it should be about the couple spending quality time together, at least that's my opinion.**

**The couples eating competition was another idea my beta suggested when I kept drawing a blank on something funny to do on the date. I loved the idea of it and I wanted to make it longer but frankly I didn't see the point in detailing an outcome that everyone would be aware of how it was going to end. My beta suggested Melon Bread, but I thought using curry bread would be better since it was going right back to the beginning of how Ranma and Ryoga met. I thought it would be funny and lend a certain kind of symmetry to the situation.**

**Ok, now for Ranma's child bearing moment.**

**This moment should not under any circumstance be taken to mean that she's ready to hop Ryoga's P-chan and start making babies because its not. Ranma's moment of realization that she can have children if she wants was simply a moment of realization that one day she MIGHT want to have children, that if she can have feelings for a guy and willingly go on a date and enjoy herself, then maybe, just maybe one day she might actually wanna have kids too. That's all that moment was, nothing more nothing less.**

**Now for the biggest thing.**

**Akane discovering Ryoga's dirty little secret!**

**Come on, yah all knew it was coming, somewhere deep inside you were waiting for it, though I really hope none of you were really expecting it to happen and I hope that the ending was a good shock twist ending XD**

**One of the things that always irritated me about the anime/manga, was that Akane is so stupidly blind about the whole P-chan thing. So I always planned on her discovering the truth and this has been one of the things I've been dying to get to for a long time. Originally though I was gonna have her walk in just as Ranma pours hot water over him and he changed back to human, but I just couldn't get the flow right for that so again I follow the advice of one of my beta's and decided to go with the reverse and I think it turned out better in the long run. **

**God I can't wait to write the fallout!**

**Now, there is so much that I cut from this chapter that I wish I could have gotten write and kept in, but Christ I was nearly hitting the fifty page mark as it was. I was gonna have the girls (Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo) inadvertently causing chaos while trying to help Ranma, but I was coming up blank on how to do that. Then I was gonna have Mousse make an ass of himself but I didn't think that did much for the story. Then I was gonna have Kuno show up and piss Ranma off the way he does, then I was gonna change that to having both Kuno and Kodachi show up going on bad information provided by Nabiki and so on and so forth. Ultimately all these things and others were left out because they either did nothing for the story or because it would have made the chapter waaaaaaaaay too damn long.**

**Ok, this is officially my longest author's note so I'm gonna end it here, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I really hope to see you back for the next one, so until then…..**


	29. Chapter 28: Hell Hath No Fury Like Akane

** A/N: Ok, I'm not going to linger here because there's not a lot to say other than you guys are amazing. The response to the last chapter was very uplifting and helped to remind me why I love writing; to write stories that people will enjoy so it makes me incredibly happy to know that my procrastinations were baseless. So thank you all!**

** I'm gonna try to be more proactive about my writing, to be more confident about what I've laid down and stop letting my OCD get the better of me. **

** That being said I hope this chapter lives up to the last one. Usually I wait to upload these until I've had a two or three friends read the chapter I can make changes - if any - based on feedback I get from them. However I've only managed to get one of these three to read it since completing the chapter. One has been on a lot to ask and another has been far too busy - and understandably so - with assignments of her own. So as I said, I hope this one lives up to the last. **

** Personally I have no real problems with this chapter apart from the usual procrastinations. I just hope you all like it as well.**

** I've tried to catch as many grammar and spelling mistakes as possible but there will no doubt be plenty still remaining, but I would also like to remind readers that there might be some words you THINK are miss spelt but chances are it's one of those words that are spelt differently in another country, so it's not that its spelt wrong it's just different spelling. But yes there will no doubt be plenty of mistakes and I am aware that they are there so please, you don't NEED to say in reviews that you found lots of spelling and grammar mistakes**

** Anyway, on with the chapter.**

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

Chapter 28

_Hell Hath No Fury Like Akane!_

Nerima was silent as the sky shifted from dark orange to darker shades of pinks and purples before night finally descended across the ward, the sun dipping slowly below the horizon line like someone easing into a steaming hot bath. A sparse splattering of stars sparkled against the black canvas as a full moon lit up the sky with not a cloud insight. A chilled breeze whirled through the streets with a tiny whistling moan as it slipped over cracks in the road and holes in walls, a remnant of winter lingering on for as long as possible. Few people walked the streets, those that did were teenagers hurrying home for dinner, those coming home from work and some just out to enjoy the peaceful night.

Until...

'RANMA!'

The enrage screech split the silence of the night like the crack of a lightning bolt, followed by a scream of pure terror as the red head nearly shot past the corner, falling and slipping as she tried to course correct in mid run. She shrieked again as she saw the mass flying towards her out of the corner of her eye and shot off at the same time Akane smashed apart the ground with her massive mallet, narrowly missing the red head.

The dark haired girl exhaled sharply in a mix of rage and frustration. 'Get back here you jerks!'

Ranma's eyes were as wide as saucers as she ran, Ryoga and his clothes clutched in her arms. Akane's growling snarls of anger echoing after her. Of all the times she had seen Akane angry, she had never seen her this pissed before. Standing there before and watching her expression shift like liquid from frozen shock to pure white hot unbridled rage was terrifying in and of itself, but knowing that you were the focus of all that rage was something else entirely. Ranma tried to take comfort in the fact that the only way this could have been worse, would have been if "_P-chan_" had been sleeping in her bed and got doused with hot water. She shuddered to imagine what the short tempered Tendo sister would have done if she woke up to a naked teenage boy sleeping in her bed...

Again the ground shook as Akane swung and missed, her mallet leaving small craters in the road and networks of fissures of varying sizes spider webbing away from the impact point. If she managed to hit them with that thing while she was in this state they'd end up looking worse than bugs on a windshield! Not that Akane's anger wasn't justified but she didn't think the dark haired girl would go _this_ ballistic. Akane wanted blood! She could only hope that if they kept running long enough the girl would eventually snap out of her shock induced murderous rage and give her a chance to explain themselves.

Not that she knew exactly what she was going to say...

Ranma screamed again as the mallet narrowly missed her head by a hair's width, breaking her train of thought, feeling the awesome pressure of the weapon against her back as it swung pass.

She hissed down at the terrified pig in her arms. 'This is all your fault!'

Even in the panic he was in, Ryoga looked up at her indignantly, squealing and grunting loudly as he made exaggerated geastures from his stubby little forelegs like someone playing charades, his expressive response shifting rapidly first from defensive to outrage; under any other situation it would have been hilarious. It didn't take a genius to figure out his meaning though.

'Why you little!' her eyes flashed angrily at him. 'You are not putting this back on me you little perv!'

Ryoga grunted something that sounded entirely too sarcastic for her liking.

'Oh bite me!' Ranma growled irritably back at him, but he just gave her pointed look like. She sighed in exasperation. 'Oh fine it's my fault too alright! She has just as much right to kill me as she does you! You happy now?'

At the same time she glanced back over her shoulder to see Akane suddenly close the distance between them with a boost of alarming speed. Ranma let out a strangled cry as the mallet whipped around on a slanted angle, coming up from the girl's hip towards the red head. Without warning her legs twisted up and the world spun as she fell, the mallet screaming past her so close she could have sword it grazed her nose. Ranma crashed to the ground with an oomph, her arms tightening around the pig and weathering the impact as pain shot through her; it was nothing compared to all the hits she had taken over the years or compared to taking a hit from that hammer. Stars exploded in front of her eyes though when the back of her head smacked against the asphalt.

The world swayed slightly as she blinked against the disorientation, before finding herself staring up at her furious ex-fiancée. The girl's nostrils flared, her pupils shrunken to pin pricks and her entire body trembling from head to toe with the mallet gripped in white knuckles as it rested against her shoulder.

Ranma gulped nervously. 'Akane, please, let's tal- Aiyeeeee!'

The mallet smashed down between her legs a fraction of a second after she split them apart to form a V, the ground shaking beneath her with the force of the impact. Ranma flipped up off her back and on the end of the weapon, her eyes locking momentarily with the other girl before her; she couldn't help but shudder at the hatred she saw there.

Akane whipped the mallet up with the red perched on the end, but at the same time though Ranma leapt into the air and gracefully flipped backwards over a wall and into someone's backyard, landing in a crouch. Unconsciously she panted heavily; not from exhaustion, but from her heart hammering with the rush of coming so damn close to having her head busted open like a watermelon.

Ranma sighed as her shoulders sagged with relief. 'There, that should buy us a couple of minutes.'

The words were barely out of her mouth when Akane suddenly leapt on to the wall, grounding her teeth and her eyes wild like a woman possessed.

'Oh come on,' Ranma whined with a heavy sigh.

The red head turned to run as her ex-fiancée leapt from the wall after her. Ranma dived as the mallet crashed into the spot where she had been standing, and rolled easily to her feet as Akane's aggravated snarls of frustration filled the air, but was Ranma came out of the roll running, her feet tangled in a hose left lying across the grass; between the night and its dark coloring it was nearly invisible but it pitched Ranma forward all the same, sending the red head flying uncontrollably with a shrill shriek of alarm. Unfortunately with Akane's second swing the mallet flew from her hands and sent it spinning over the fallen girl's head and smashing into the hot water system attached to the outside wall of the house.

Ranma and Ryoga only had time to blink in surprise, before the hot water system split open and geyser of boiling water ruptured out with a blast. The red head squealed and rolled out of the way; only to find herself with her arms wrapped around a very naked Ryoga. She blinked in confusion up at the surprised dark green eyes, before screaming and instinctively kicked him off.

'Gee thanks,' he grumbled with a grimace as he started to sit up.

Ranma shoved his balled up clothes at him, her cheeks flushing scarlet as she snapped. 'Shut up and put your clothes on damn it!'

Both of them winced at the sound of metal warping in protest and turned in time to see Akane yanking her weapon free of the mangled hot water system and return her fury back to them.

'Oh crap,' Ranma hissed. 'Run!'

Ryoga barely had time to blink before the red head rushed past him, and found himself in the oncoming path of the enraged dark haired girl.

A few seconds later the neighborhood was shaken by the powerful impacts that resounded through the streets. Ranma and Ryoga broke through the expanding cloud of pulverized dirt and rubble and were back on the road running as fast as they could as Ryoga struggled to get his clothes back on without stopping, hopping along as he tried to pull his pants up. Akane wasn't far behind them, pausing only long enough to get her bearings when she emerged from the dust cloud and lock on to them, her grip tightening around the handle till her knuckles were white as bone.

'Where does she get those things from?!' Ryoga demanded as he hopped forward rapidly on one foot before triumphantly managing to yank his pants all the way up while juggling the rest of his clothes.

'Who cares where she got it, just run damn it! Run!' Ranma snapped, while at the same time struggling with the waist of her jeans.

Ryoga frowned in disbelief. 'What are you doing?'

'I can't run properly in these damn pants, they're too tight. My pan-' the red head caught herself as her cheeks colored lightly, before adding through gritted teeth. 'My underwear keeps crawling between my butt!'

Ryoga's face suddenly flushed bright scarlet as a trickle of blood dripped from his nose, something that didn't escape Ranma's attention as she ran beside him.

She clocked him over the back of his head without even slowing down. "Stop picturing it you damn perv!"

"As if I could!" Ryoga shouted back.

Between their bickering and Ryoga struggling with his clothes, neither of them noticed Akane until she was on top of them; her mallet crashed into them from behind and sent them rocketing forward with a chorus of screams as their limbs flailed wildly. The world spun around them as they flew through the air before slamming into the ground and skipping across the asphalt, rolling head over ass in a tangled mess of limbs before they came to a stop in a heap.

'Oww,' Ranma groaned loudly as the familiar ache of being Akane's personal punching bag filled her body.

Ryoga made a similar noise as he started to move. 'You should try being in the same bed as her.'

'Not the time to be bringing that up, you ass,' the red head hissed.

The two young martial artists untangled themselves, wincing gingerly as they pulled themselves into a sitting position. Their blood turned to ice when they found themselves staring up Akane, the young woman standing over them, patting the mallet's handle against her other hand. There was no mistaking the dark stormy look that raged across her eyes and the barely contained rage that trembled her entire body.

Ranma smiled with fear induced nervousness. 'H….hey Akane….. s'up?'

If it was at all possible the girl's aura of rage intensified a thousand fold.

'What's up? _What's_ _up_!?' Akane screeched as her voice rose several levels higher, both of them wincing noticeably. 'What do you think is up!? How long have you known Ryoga was P-chan for? How long have you been lying to me?'

'It wasn't like that,' Ranma replied with a weary sigh as they climbed to their feet. 'We were go-'

'How long!' the other girl demanded shrilly.

Ranma's shoulders sagged. 'Since he first arrived in Nerima.'

The silence that followed was thick and heavy with tension as Akane stared at them in disbelief, her whole body quivering with fury; the look of betrayal in her eyes though hurt worse than the hit the both of them had just taken. All you could hear for the longest moment was the three of them breathing and the sounds of the night all around them as they stood there.

'Akane,' Ryoga finally broke the silence. 'I'm so sorr-'

With an almighty scream Akane smashed the mallet down in front of them with so much force that the hammer head embedded itself in the ground, the handle snapping at the head. Both Ranma and Ryoga jumped back in alarm. Before either of them had a chance to react she had turned away, before stopping and glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes hidden behind locks of dark hair that cast dark shadows over them…..

'I don't want anything, to do with either of you, ever again!'

And then she stormed off into the night.

Ryoga in all his infinite, inherent good heatedness went to go after her, only for Ranma grab his wrist and stop him. He looked at her in surprise, but she just shook her head sadly with a heavy heave of her shoulders.

'Let her cool down, we'll only make things worse if we push her now,' she told him with forced calmness. 'we've done enough damage already…'

**-oOo-**

But she didn't cool down.

A few days had passed, with the excruciating slowness of watching paint dry and it didn't seem like anything was going to change any time soon. Ranma stared gloomily at the deceptively beautiful sky and the drifting clouds. The red head leant against the railing, her chin resting on her crossed arms and listening to the myriad of thoughts stirring up trouble in her head. It had been three days and she had been sure that if she gave her ex-fiancée some space and time they would start talking again, but Akane barely so much as acknowledged her existence, let alone talked to her. And who could blame her? She had just found out that for nearly two years she had been lied to by two of the people she had trusted the most. If she had been in Akane's shoes she would have been pissed too, Ranma thought…

….Granted she didn't think it was entirely hers and Ryoga's fault though. How many things had Akane blatantly ignored since _P-chan_ had come into her life? Hell, Ranma knew she shouldn't feel as guilty as she should have, given all the times she had tried to make Akane see the truth, but at the end of the day she hadn't really tried, not really…. so she wasn't sure she could take the highroad this time….

No, they were all to blame.

Ranma sighed slightly, letting bright azure eyes drift to the students below having lunch. The red head was back on the shit list of most of the female student body after news had spread rapidly - as it aggravatingly did - around the school about the secret she had been keeping from Akane; though to be fair she wasn't entirely sure if most of that anger was directed at her for keeping the secret… or at Ryoga, who most of them had all fawned over more than once when he had hidden from her in the girls locker room during any one of their numerous fights.

Whichever it was, they were pissed at her and Ryoga was too terrified to step one foot inside the school; not that she couldn't fault him for that….

Somehow her mother had managed to be both sympathetic and unsympathetic at the same time when she told her what happened with Akane. In the end her mother had simply assured her that she needed to give Akane time and that she had done the right thing by not going after her given Akane's temperament and would have only made things worse if she had. That didn't really make Ranma feel all that much better though. Her mother had changed the subject soon after though and wanted to know how the date with Ryoga had gone before the encounter with Akane.

Thinking about the date brought a smile to her face, in spite of the rather spectacularly bad twist the end of their evening had taken. Having a couple of days to take it all in, to digest the memories of the day and night and the fun they'd had, she was surprised to find that not one part of her regretted it. Yeah it was still strange and she didn't think anything could change that, but it seemed to matter less and less the more she thought about it, and even the current problem with Akane couldn't put a damper on that… well not entirely.

'So this is where you got to.'

Ranma sighed wearily as Nabiki joined her at the railing. 'I'm not really all that welcomed down there at the moment. Sure you should be up here? If Akane finds out she'll probably have a fit.'

Nabiki waved her hand dismissively with an air of indifference about her. 'Please, she's already plenty mad at me at the moment, but we live in the same house so she can't give me the cold shoulder forever.'

Ranma cocked an eyebrow at her. 'I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about Akane?'

'Granted, I've never seen her this pissed before,' Nabiki replied thoughtfully. 'But, I know my sister better than she thinks. As mad as she is at father and me, she won't stay mad at us forever. She'll grudgingly forgive us in time or Kasumi will sort her out, whichever comes first.'

'She's not mad at Kasumi?' the red head asked in surprised, and this time it was Nabiki's turn to look at her like an idiot. Ranma snorted. 'Yeah, stupid question. It impossible to be mad at her.'

'So what are you going to do to fix this?' the middle sister asked finally, her attention once more returned to the people below.

Ranma frowned, more from frustration than anything else. 'I really don't know Nabiki. I knew this would happen eventually I just never thought about what to do after it happened. I didn't want it to end up like this though, not after everything we've been through.'

'Well what did you think was going to happen?' the other girl asked, a hint of exasperation in her otherwise calm and collected tone. 'Did you really think Akane was going to reaction rationally to finding out you let a teenage boy not only sleep in her bed for close to two years and who she changed in front of frequently?'

'I know, ok?' Ranma snapped, turning and sitting down with her back to the safety fence that ran along the edge of the school roof. 'It was stupid and if I could go back and change it I would but I can't and I don't know what I'm supposed to do to fix it. She won't let me apologize and quite frankly this is just as much her fault as it is mine. You know I tried to tell her the truth a heap of times and she just wouldn't listen. She's so stubborn and pig headed.'

'And here I was thinking that was what made you both a perfect couple,' Nabiki smirked.

'Ha, ha,' Ranma grumbled sourly. 'How do I fix this?'

Nabiki shrugged detachedly. 'You might have to accept that this may well be something you can't fix…'

The silence that followed was heavy as Ranma stared up at the older girl in shocked. The feeling of dread she'd had in her stomach since the other night suddenly felt all the more powerful, tightening like a coiled snake. Nabiki had voiced the thing Ranma hadn't wanted to voice herself, let alone think about. Truth was that Nabiki was right; this might not be something she could fix if Akane wouldn't let her.

'Suppose you're pissed about losing the extra income?' Ranma asked finally.

Nabiki frowned as she looked down at her. 'What extra income?'

'From extorting money out of Ryoga to keep his secret,' the red head explained off handedly.

Nabiki blinked blankly at her for a couple of seconds, before her face suddenly paled and her eyes widened dramatically in horror. Realization quickly dawned upon the red head as she exploded with laughter at the look on the girl's face.

'You never?' Ranma asked in disbelief. 'This whole time?'

When Nabiki didn't respond straight away but instead continued to stare straight ahead like a stunned fish gasping for breath, Ranma couldn't help but burst into another fit of uncontrollable laughter that echoed across the roof, clutching at her stomach as she threw her head back and basked in the glory of seeing the other girl at a loss for words for once.

Karma really was a bitch!

**-oOo-**

It had already been close to a week since she discovered the truth, and Akane was still seething white hot rage under the frosty facade she built around herself, as she made her way to school. Nearly a week and every time it crossed her mind felt like a fresh punch to the guts all over again, like she was watching that perverted son of a bitch transform into her beloved pet pig right in front of an unsurprised Ranma for the first time over and over again. Just thinking about it made her bristle with fury. The fact that everyone closest to her knew made it so much worse.

Her father, her sisters, Mr. Saotome, Mrs. Saotome, Ukyo, Shampoo... And Ranma... They all knew and they said nothing; they all knew and still they let her think that "P-chan" was nothing more than a normal pig!

With a furious snarl she punched the nearest telegraph pole she could find, her fist leaving a splintered blasted in mess of a hole that ran half way through. It was only with what tattered remains of her self control that remained that she didn't knock the whole thing down.

How could they not tell her!?

Akane grounded her teeth angrily as she stared at the splinted hole in front of her for the longest time, before taking a deep calming breath to try an center herself; it didn't help, not really. she still wanted to break everything insight until there wasn't a scrap of anger left inside her. Sometimes her tempered scared even her - not that she cared to admit that to anyone - and she knew that one day it was probably going to get her into trouble if she didn't find away to conquer it. Kasumi had tried to warn her so many times over the years, especially when their father had started training her and it failed to cool her hair trigger fuse. Right at that moment though it would have been so easy to let it take her. It took a great deal of effort not to give into it though.

It would have been too easy.

'Well, I suppose the pole had it coming...'

Akane's jaw clenched as ther corners of her eyes tightened with volatile anger. Slowly, she turned around to glare coldly at the red head perched atop the chain link fence as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Like that the weak hold she had on her anger snapped and it all came flooding back more powerful than ever, regardless of the great deal of effort it took not to punch the red head in the face as she leapt down to the street.

'Hi, Akane...' Ranma added hesitantly, shifting awkwardly.

Akane turned away sharply. 'I don't want anything to do with you.'

'Oh come on Akane,' Ranma pleaded. 'Please, just give me a chance to explain.'

'Explain what!?' she spun with such a furious screech that the red head back away a couple of steps before she even noticed what she was doing. 'You don't get it do you? You lied to me! You let me make a fool of myself for nearly two years and for what!? Did you think it was funny? I bet you and Ryoga had a good laugh about it behind my back!'

Ranma shook her head rapidly. 'No it wasn't like that I swear.'

Akane snorted in disgust. 'Yeah right. Like I'm going to believe that. You're nothing but a two faced lying rat. You never even tried!'

And like that, Ranma's expression suddenly shifted from one of contrite to frustrated annoyance, her face turn a shade of angry scarlet.

'I did tell you damn it!' the red head snarled with such anger that Akane felt herself flinch. If Ranma noticed though she didn't react to it as she threw her hands into the air. 'For crying out loud, I tried over and over again to tell you the truth but you never wanted to hear it. I tried to drop hints, I tried to be subtle, I even told you flat out who P-chan was but every time you turned up your nose at me and told me I was just jealous, of a pig! Do you remember that Akane!? Do you remember all those times me and "P-chan" fought? Huh!? Did your seriously think I would lower myself to attacking an animal without a damn good reason? And what about his bandana huh? Didn't it ever seem strange that P-chan and Ryoga wore the exact same one!? Of course it didn't because apparently in the little world you live in everything revolves around you and to hell with what everyone else says or do! If you had stopped and listened any one of a thousand or more times even your pea brain would have figured it all out!'

'Pea brain!?' Akane bristled in disbelieving rage. 'If I'm so stupid then why didn't you just pour hot water on him then!? Was that so hard?'

'I tried!' Ranma screeched with growing exasperation. 'You always protected him and then called me a bully, you twit! Do you honestly think I wanted to deceive you?!'

'Well why not!? You did the first time we met,' the other girl pointed out. 'You were too much of a coward to tell me the truth then to.'

'That was completely different and you know it!' the red head replied accusingly.

'Just admit it,' Akane continued, ignoring her ex. 'You knowingly lied to me and now you're too much of a coward to accept responsibility for it.'

'Do you even hear yourself?' Ranma demanded. 'I said I was sorry but that wasn't good for little miss perfect now was it! Well I'm done. If you're too pig headed to see reason then I give up. I'm not going to stand here and let you accuse me of something that wasn't all mine and Ryoga's fault.'

Akane could feel the rage boiling away inside her like a pot about to blow its lid. She wanted to reach out and smack the red head with all her strength; it was only the knowledge that if Ranma wanted to she would stop her without breaking a sweat. So instead she stood there trembling and grinding her teeth in furious silence, meeting the other girl's fed up glare.

'Fine!' she finally snapped. 'Just leave me alone! You two perverts do deserve each other!'

The silence that followed was so powerful that even a pin dropping would have sounded like clattering thunder, as Ranma stared at her in shock. Akane stared back smirking triumphantly at finally putting the red head in her place, as the red head lowered her head so that her fringe cloaked her eyes in shadows, her arms hanging limb at her sides like they were being dragged down by a massive weight.

'So that's what you really think about us?' Ranma asked softly, her voice devoid of emotion, but at the same time filled with overwhelming hurt and betrayal. 'So you did have a problem with us being together…'

Akane's feeling of triumphant was forgotten immediately as she blinked blankly at the red head, studying the heavy, almost ominous air around her, wondering what she was talking about; and then, suddenly she heard her own words replay through her head and her eyes widened in shock as she realized how that must have sounded to the insecure girl.

Ranma snorted angrily. 'Of course you would. You thought I was nothing but a pervert from the first moment you found out about my curse, so you must think I'm a real freak now!'

'No, of course that's not what I meant!' Akane frowned as she replied rapidly; as angry as she was she still didn't want Ranma misunderstanding her about that. 'I meant th-'

'Save it,' Ranma hissed, cutting her off sharply. 'I'm done taking crap from you and having to suffer your pathetic melt downs whenever something happens you don't like…... You want me to leave you alone, fine!'

The dark haired girl watched as the red head spun away and started to walk off, too shocked to speak; at first at least.

'I wish I had never met you Ranma Saotome!' Akane finally snapped.

Ranma stopped and gave her a dirty look. 'The feeling is mutual!'

Both girls glared at each other for the longest time, everything seeming to freeze around them in a cold tense silence, before whipping their attention away in a huff and storming off in different directions.

**-oOo-**

The rhythmic scratching taps of the chalk against the black board was the only sound to break the otherwise ominously quiet class room, save for ramblings of the pint size Miss Hinako, who was naturally oblivious to anything amiss. The students however weren't that ignorant as they stole curious but hesitant glances at the two young women that seemed overly intent of making a point of ignoring one another. From the moment they had walked into class, it was obvious to everyone that something bad had gone down between two fo them. They had a good idea what that was probably about, but where Ranma had been eager to talk to her ex, now she seemed just as furious as Akane had been for days,

Since the start of class they had grudgingly sat next to one another and the looks that had passed between them like the opening salvo's on a war sub had been disturbingly cold. They had all seen the two of them argue and fight with one another before, but there had never been any malicious bite or sting to back up their insults with their feelings for each other - despite their insistent protests to the contrary - being painfully clear. This time however… this time something altogether different.

It seemed like an impossibly huge chasm had torn open between them, and it was only getting bigger…

Out of the corner of her eye, Ranma glanced over absently and frowned as she caught sight of Akane idly writing in the margin of her notebook. She had written jerk with a couple of exclamation next to it, the letters blocky and dark where they had been shaded in with the pencil. When she looked up, she realized Akane had caught her looking and smirked smugly. The red head bristled, grounding her teeth in annoyance.

Two could play at that game!

Ranma turned back to her own notebook and started scribbling furiously, causing Akane to frown suspiciously. Several minutes ticked by as the red head worked the paper with her pencil, but her arm hid whatever she was doing even when she occasionally glanced up to see if she was still looking.

Finally she sat back and held the note book up, revealing a crude scribbling little better than a small child's that vaguely resembled Akane; the only difference was that the Akane on the paper had exaggeratedly thick legs, and the words scrawled beneath it, _gorilla thighs_.

Ranma returned the smirk with a triumphant gleam to her eyes.

Without warning Akane struck the red head square in the face with her close note book with a resounding crack that drew the attention of everyone in the room; including Miss Hinako, who glared furiously - albeit it hilariously in her child form - at them both with puffed out cheeks.

Both girls found themselves standing in the hallway not long after with a bucket of water in each hand, and scowling angrily in icy silence at the wall opposite them…..

Till Akane hissed. 'This is all your fault!'

'My fault?!' Ranma demanded in outrage. 'You're the one acting like a stuck up gorilla! This is your fault!'

'Why you little brat!'

And like that their bickering argument started to rise in volume till almost everyone could hear them, as they slung insults back and forth….

**-oOo-**

Ryoga watched from the side as Ranma attacked the punching bag with barely contained frustration. Sweat beaded on her forehead, glistening like the stars in the night sky, before trickling down the side of her face, running down her neck to collect along her collar bones and between her breasts. The muscles in her slender and deceptively delicate looking arms and shoulders and her neck shifted with ever so slight movements beneath her skin as she danced around the object in a black, almost form fitting tank top and black slacks; hardly anyone would have expected that such arms were capable of pulverizing concrete if she was so inclined. It was almost hypnotizing watching the way she moved, something he had always been aware of before but had never allowed himself to pay close attention to knowing who she was, but things were different now. Now he never wanted to stop watching the way she moved, the way her misleadingly small form could turn everything she did into graceful dance; even if she wasn't aware of what she was doing half the time.

He had to stop himself from smirking and shaking his head helplessly; at the back of his mind he wondered if Ranma was aware of just how incredible she was. Even when she was furious she was still so beautiful. Her pigtail whipped behind her with every duck and weave she made around the pendulous bag of sand, striking out with punches so fast he barely saw them before her fists made loud thumps against the bag that caused the canvas to ripple like water from the impact. Suddenly she would shift from her hands to her feet, her legs cleaving arcs through the air as she flipped and somersaulted in mid air, twisting in ways no normal person could ever hope to as her feet made contact with the bag and used it as purchase to flip away from it again.

'You can't really be mad at Akane,' he said finally.

Ranma gave the punching bag an extra strong hit and grunted. 'Watch me.'

'Well you can't blame her for being mad,' Ryoga sighed. 'This is our fault.'

'I'm not mad because she's mad at us!' the red head hissed, ducking away from the bag as it swung back at her and struck it with a round house kick. 'I'm _pissed_, because she's nothing but a spoilt brat and a hypocritical, self absorbed bitch!' What did you ever see in her?' she demanded as she stopped suddenly and looked over at him.

Ryoga gave her a flat look; he wasn't the sharpest tool around, but he wasn't stupid enough to answer that question. 'What did you?'

Save for the creaking of the punching bag swinging on the metal hook, the dojo was suddenly very quiet as the red head's cheeks colored slightly in awkwardness. Without responding, she returned to beating the crap out of the punching bag.

Ryoga though sighed softly. 'This is all my fault. I know. I shouldn't have let this charade go on for as long as it did. You we were right at the ski resort when you said about telling her. I should have listened.'

'I don't care anymore, Ryoga!' she snapped with exasperation. 'Akane can do whatever the hell she wants from now. I'm done with being her go to person that she places all the blame on. If she wants to be the center of her own precious little universe, fine, but I am done! She wants nothing do with us then fine, I don't want anything to do with her anymore either.'

'You don't mean that,' he replied certainly.

'The hell I don't,' she hissed. 'I tried to tell her the truth so many times in so many ways and she threw it back in my face every time and now she's acting like it was some big master plan of mine to make a fool out of her. If that's all she thinks of me after all this time, after everything we've been through than fine, I don't want her as a friend.'

But it was obvious even to him how big a load of crap that was. In the past it had hurt so much to see how close Ranma and Akane were, how much they cared about one another when all he had ever wanted was Akane to look at him the same way she had with Ranma all the while knowing the only way he could ever be close to her was if he kept on playing the part of P-chan. Ranma could rave on and on all she wanted about how she didn't care or how she didn't want anything to do with Akane, but he could see the hurt in her eyes, the pain that motivated such obvious attempts to convince herself that was what she really wanted; but, the truth was that she did care, she cared so much that it hurt.

Try as she might to pretend otherwise, there was just no hiding it. It was one of the things he was finding more and more attractive about her. His shoulders sagged heavily; he just wished that he wasn't the cause of the hurt she was feeling…

'I'm sor-'

'Don't!' Ranma cut him off sharply as she stopped the punching bag abruptly, not meanly but with enough bite behind her tone to silence him. She touched her forehead against the canvas, letting the silence drift between them. '…Just don't, ok? It's done. She's made her choice and so have I…'

With one final punch born of frustration she sent the punching bag swinging back and forth in long arcs, before stalking out of the training hall in irritation.

Leaving Ryoga sitting there, deep in thought…

**-oOo-**

Try as she might to put everything out of her mind, Akane was still seething angrily as she walked home. She wanted to stop thinking about Ranma and Ryoga and all their lies; she didn't want to think about them anymore but every time she tried not to the image of him changing from a boy into a pig popped back into her mind and the anger started all over again, compounded by Ranma's juvenile behavior and the knowledge that she had been so stupidly blind this whole time. Even worse was that as much as she hated her for it, Ranma was right; the red head had tried to tell her many times who P-chan was but she had never listened.

And why should she?

Ranma hadn't exactly done herself any favors by acting like an irrational jealous jerk every ten seconds whenever "P-chan" was around. What was she suppose to think and why would she willingly let anyone pour boiling hot water over what she naturally assumed was a poor defenseless and innocent animal? She certainly hadn't expected Ryoga of being so underhanded as to trick her the way he had. No, Ranma may have been right about trying to tell her, but it still didn't make any of it right! This was their fault, not hers!' And if Ranma wanted to try and make her out to be the bad guy by putting words in her mouth than that was her problem and she refused to let the red head get to her.

If Ranma wasn't such a pig headed fool, she wouldn't have misunderstood what she had meant. It was just another way for the coward to try and wriggle out of taking responsibility for her actions. Why her father had wanted their family to join with the Saotome's in the first place was beyond her; Ranma was just as bad as her own father and they were better off without them as far as she was concerned!

….

…So why did it hurt so much to feel so angry with her?

Grounding her teeth in frustration she tried to push it to the back of her mind and forged on towards home, confident that a session of brick breaking was what she needed to vent the bubbling lake of anger inside her.

So focused on ignoring all the tormenting thoughts storming through her mind, she almost didn't see him when she rounded the corner to her street. Ryoga was sitting cross legged next to the front gate of her house, his expression equal measures serious and contrite as he turned and looked up to see her standing there. Immediately angry waves of betrayal and fury crashed through her.

'You've got some nerve showing your face around here!' she growled.

Ryoga climbed to his feet quickly. 'I know and I'm not here to justify what I did or ask for your forgiveness. I know that I can't ever make up for what I did, but that's not what I wanna talk to you about.'

'I have nothing I want to talk to you about Ryoga Hibiki,' Akane glowered darkly as she walked past him.

'Akane please, I just wanna talk about what's going on between you and Ranma.'

She whirled on him, her voice as icy as her glare. 'Anything that's going on between me and her is none of your business!'

'Well unfortunately it is my business since this all started because of me!' he replied with just a hint of frustration.

She jabbed him in the shoulder with finger. 'That's exactly why you should mind your own business and do what you do best Ryoga. Get lost!'

Ryoga winced under the verbal lashing, but he didn't back down.

'Look, I know your mad with us. You have every right to be, especially with me and I don't expect you'll ever be able to look at me the same way ever again and I deserve that. I broke your trust and believe me, I'm always going to regret that,' he explained softly with sagging shoulders, and his head hung low, but when he looked up to meet her gaze there was almost a pleading look in his eyes. 'But Ranma didn't keep the truth from you to hurt you or because she thought it was funny. She kept the secret because she had given her word, on her honor that she wouldn't reveal my secret and it was probably that more than anything that stopped her from really going out of her way to reveal it to you.'

Akane wanted to howl in exasperation; when were they going to get it!?

'That didn't give you the right to trick me!' she all but screamed, stamping her foot angrily. 'Don't you get that? You didn't just break my trust Ryoga you invaded my privacy and Ranma let you! You have no right to defend her! If you had told me from the beginning who you were I wouldn't have cared but you didn't! I would have been a little embarrassed, but that I would have gotten over! What could have possibly been so damn important that you would keep your real identity a secret from me all this time?'

Ryoga sighed.

'I don't think I can really make you understand,' he admitted sadly. 'Unlike Ranma who pretended to be ashamed and hateful of her curse, I still am. I always will be and when we first met, when you first found me as _P-chan_ I hated myself and my curse more than I ever had, and despite all her teasing, Ranma knew that and was trying to protect me…'

Akane hissed. 'I used to change in front of you!'

'I never watched!' Ryoga replied quickly in a panic. 'I always had my eyes closed or looked away, but I never watched, I swear.'

'You used to come into the girls locker room!' she pointed out in disbelief.

Ryoga's face turned bright red. 'That was usually by accident when I was trying to get away from Ranma. I never meant for that to happen and I left as soon as I could. I'm sorry that it ever went as far as it did and I wish I could go back to the night you found me in the rain and tell you the truth there and then, but I can't.'

'You're only saying that now because you got caught,' she huffed. 'If you truly felt that way you wouldn't have lied about it for so long.'

Ryoga lowered his gaze as an almost haunted look filled his eyes, a heavy sigh heaving and dropping his shoulders like they were burdened with a ton of weight.

'You have no idea, just how lonely my existence has been Akane. With my sense of direction,' he replied with a quiet tone filled with emotion. 'For so long the only thing that kept me going was my need to find Ranma and make him pay for running out on our fight and then I blamed him for my curse, never knowing just how responsible Ranma was. Before that night, when you found me in the rain, I had forgotten what it was like to feel loved in any way or form, to have friends that cared about me. I was so much closer to being an animal than a person thanks to my curse. There were days sometimes when I'd be stuck in that accursed form, no hot water to change back into because I'd be trapped wondering aimlessly through some damn forest or jungle or what not with no way of starting a fire to boil water anyway. Sometimes I would end up living with wild boars and believe me, that's not nearly as fun as it sounds. You don't know what it was like.'

Akane gave him a cold hard look, but she couldn't denied that even as mad as she was she couldn't but feel - however grudgingly - sorry for him. He was right; she couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to live that way.

'And then I met you,' Ryoga added, staring her straight in the eye. 'And you took me in, even if you didn't know it was me out of pure unselfish kindness and concern. I had forgotten what it was like to have friends. I had forgotten that people were even capable of being so generous and compassionate and as much as I wanted to tell you the truth, I was terrified. Not that you would try to kill me or anything like that. I was terrified of being alone again, of having nothing but my anger to fuel me. You saved me Akane…'

He trailed off, giving her a moment to digest his words. Although her expression remained unflinchingly cold as she continued to glare, determined not to give him the benefit of getting a reaction out of her. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to say anything he continued.

'I know I can't make up for the damage my fear has caused, but I do know that as furious and hurt as you are feeling, you don't really want to throw away your friendship with Ranma… and I know that as angry and hurt as Ranma is at the moment, and as much as she pretends otherwise she doesn't want that either. I know a lot has changed recently but I think a part of Ranma is always going to love you no matter what you think of her or how much she tries to convince herself she doesn't care anymore. So if you have to hate someone, hate me but please don't think that Ranma did this to hurt you…'

The silence that followed was thick with tense emotion as he stared, watching and waiting for her to say something. Akane didn't let the hard look slip from her face, wearing it like a mask to hide the fact that his words had shook her. Honestly as much as she hated him at the moment, her heart went out to him trying imagine what it was like to live the way he had described. But, she pushed aside the feelings of sympathy she felt, but it did little to cool her anger. She was so furious with them both, humiliated and hurt; she just wanted to pummel them into a bloody mess for doing this to her, and now Ryoga had the nerve to stand there and try to take the high road. As far as Akane was concerned she would have been well within her right to smack him stupid or yell at him some more... but, she didn't.

As much as she didn't want to admit it though, he was right. She didn't want to throw away her friendship with Ranma, not when they were finally starting to act like civilized human beings with one another, but she was just so angry with them that she couldn't dismiss her feelings so readily and forgive and forget; she wasn't sure she could ever trust either of them ever again for this.

And that hurt; she thought of all people, aside from her own family that she could trust Ranma and Ryoga the most and now they had both betrayed her... And over what? A warrior's oath?

A promise made on the honor of a martial artist...

At the back of her mind she couldn't help but sigh. Here she was judging Ranma for keeping this from her, but if she had been the one to make the same kind of promise she would have been serious about keeping it too or else her word of honor wouldn't have meant diddly squat...

That didn't make what they did right though!

She wanted to howl in frustration; she was so frustrated!

On one hand she was outraged that this had gone for as long as it had and despite his claims to the contrary she was certain the pervert had watched her change more than once; but, on the other hand she was a martial artist too and if the secret was kept from her because of a promise made on the honor of another martial artist she was bound by her love and respect of the art to honor that as well.

Why couldn't things ever be simple?

'Look Ryoga, I kn-'

Before she could finish, a warning look flashed across the young man's eyes as his entire body tensed. Without warning he pulled her out of the way as his free hand whipped up and snatched something out of mid air. It was only a blur of movement at first before Akane's eyes as she stare in shock at his out stretched hand, but when it stopped wrapping around his fist she recognized the length of rope with two weighted ends. It was a bola.

'What in the world?" she exclaimed in surprise.

Ryoga growled angrily as his eyes flicked back and forth over the street and roof tops all around them. 'Show yourselves you cowards!'

Everything around them was deadly silent as his demand thundered across the area. Akane freed herself from his protective grip, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand with unease as she turned on the spot several times, the muscles throughout her body tensing and her fingers curling her hands into fists. Then, all of a suddenly they started to appear. Cloaked individuals that leapt from roof tops and emerged from behind walls and the ends of the street. There was at least a dozen of them and, hostility wafting off them like cheap perfume. From the way they carried themselves, Akane was certain they were all men.

Ryoga smirked darkly. 'And here I was thinking it had been too quiet lately.'

Before Akane had the chance to ask what was going on, the strangers charged with a coordinated attack. The bulk of them went straight for Ryoga, forcing him away, while the small few left turned their attention to her, smug and arrogant airs of over confident superiority gathering around them.

Akane hissed through clenched teeth, her furious igniting like a wild fire. 'You picked the wrong day to mess with me!'

The dark haired girl leapt at them like a wild animal, swinging her book bag in a wide arc that caught one of the men in the side of the face and sent him flying back. The other men rushed her, realizing too late that she was no helpless child. Akane side stepped one of them as he reached out to grab her, and trapped his offending arm in her grip and brutally heaved him over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground like a rag doll. Another attacker grabbed her from behind, hoisting her off her feet with a enraged snarl; Akane snapped her head back, wincing at the pain that spiked through her skull but smiling with satisfaction at the sound of his nose crunching from the attack and the cry that escaped his lips. With a brutal swing her foot flew up between his legs, eliciting a blood curdling scream as her let go. Akane whirled around and brought her book bag crashing into the side of his head and knocked him clean off his feet.

She turned as the other two that were left came at her at the same time, heedless of their comrade's fates but no longer treating her like they would a normal girl. Akane expertly skipped backwards, skillfully dodging and avoiding their punches and kicks almost as if she were gliding on air. It seemed like forever since the fight against the Preservation Society when they had gone to rescue Ranma, but it was like riding a bike.

'Not so fast missy!'

Akane eyes widened with surprise as the first man she had slammed into the ground was back on his feet and closing on her from behind. Without warning she came to an abrupt stop and ducked as the man in front of her threw wild round house kick that pass clear over her head. As she straightened she slammed her elbow into the man's gut coming at her from behind, knocking the wind out of him before whirling around in crouch and springing up to smash her open palm into the underside of his chin lifting off the ground and depositing him on his back. She had little time to appreciate the knock out, dodging back as one of the other two leapt forward, straight into the path of her knee as it came racing up and slammed into his stomach, before driving her cupped fists into the middle of his back and sending him crashing to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Akane turned a withering glare of ice cold fury upon the last remaining man, who stopped and stared, first at his fallen friends and then warily back at her. She stared unblinking at him, almost daring him to attack as she took a menacing step forward that he matched moving back, suddenly very unsure of himself. When she took another step what remained of his courage fled and he suddenly turned and ran, only to run straight into the path of a flying body as Ryoga easily sent one of his attackers sailing through the air, both men going down in a tangle of limbs.

She turned to watch him making short work of the goons surrounding him. Unlike with her they certainly weren't underestimating him. That did little to help them though. Ryoga was mowing through them without breaking a sweat. They weren't amateurs, they knew what they were doing and their attacks were precise and calculated, but they were still far from Ryoga's caliber. He easily threw them around like rag dolls; he didn't even need to block their attacks. Their kicks and punches bounced off his incredibly durable hide like they were attacking a wall of solid rock. The fight, if it could be called that didn't last long, the young making short work of his attackers with a cold impassive glare till there was only one left.

The man jumped as Ryoga suddenly turned his dark glare upon him. Realizing he was in trouble the man turn to flee, but Akane was quicker. She blocked his path, glaring in annoyance. She never liked being attacked at random by a bunch of lackeys, although it was surprising she hadn't gotten used to it by now.

'Where do you think you're going?' Ryoga demanded, clamping a hand on the man's shoulder and slamming into a wall, growling dangerously as he reached up to the man's hood. 'Now you're gonna tell me what that was all about it!'

With that Ryoga yanked the hood back, and with a sharp hissing gasp he staggered back a few steps. Akane blinked in confusion as she watched him, watched the flicker of recognition that shot across his eyes.

'You know him?' she asked in surprise. "ACK!"

Ryoga suddenly snatched her up in his arms and took to the roof tops with a hop and a bound before she had time to scream or protest.

'Ryoga what are you doing!? Put me down this instant!' she screeched.

'I need your help Akane!' he snapped. 'Ranma's in danger!'

**-oOo-**

The sky was just starting to darken as the sun started it's decent when Ranma made her way to the training hall, savoring the refreshing coolness of the late afternoon breeze against her bare arms, still wearing the black tank top and pants she had been earlier. It had been a long day and having Ryoga poking at the hornets' nest that was her tattered relationship with Akane; she knew he meant well but she didn't need him being the voice of reason, although she knew she was going to have to apologize for snapping at him the way she did. He was only trying to help she reminded herself. Right now though, after all this crap with Akane what she needed most was a good workout to loosen the tension in her shoulders.

Even thinking about her made her frown, and tauntingly stoked her irritation like a camp fire and left her feeling all pissy again and grinding her teeth. If Akane wanted to throw away everything they had been through over this then that was her problem. As far as Ranma was concerned she had said she was sorry and she had meant it, she really had and if that wasn't good enough for Akane well too bad.

Ranma sighed as she stopped and leant lightly against the doors to the dojo; despite the fact that fighting with Akane like this hurt like hell and she didn't like it, and she a more reasonable part of her brain was willingly to bet that deep down Akane felt the same way but whenever she tried to put her anger aside she found herself thinking about what Akane had said, her poor choice of words. Ranma knew that wasn't what she meant when she had called them perverts deserving each other, but all the same it struck a chord in the red head that she couldn't easily dismiss and it ticked her off like nothing else in a way she couldn't control.

With a deep breath she pushed it to the back of her mind and slid the doors open with a weary push; she strolled into the dojo, ready to vent her anger out on some defenseless punching bags and training dummies and, if only for a short while rid herself of some tension she was feeling.

She would deal with everything else later.

Ranma was almost to the middle of the room when she stopped abruptly in the strip of light streaming through the open doors, a sudden wash of uneasiness passed over her as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The cold silence that surrounded her was ominously oppressive and hostile, sending an involuntary shiver through her.

'Believe me when I say I've had a really bad few days and I am in no mood for this bullshit!' she growled dangerously. 'I know you're there and I will just as happily take my anger out of your ass instead of the punching bags if you don't show yourself right now!'

Silence followed her tirade as she glared into the darkness around her. A floor board suddenly creaked at the back of the dojo and she snapped her eyes around with lightning reflexes, the uneasiness she was feeling increasing rapidly. In the shadows before her she glimpsed movement as every muscles throughout her body tightened wearily at the hostility bearing down on her.

She frowned darkly. 'I said, show yo-"

Without warning a great mass rushed out of the shadows and smashed into her. The tiny red head was lifted off her feet with a cry of surprise and sent her flying backwards, before a hand snapped out and clamped around her ankle in mid air. All of a sudden the world spun around her as she was whipped around and set sailing through the air. She screamed as she smashed through the wall above the door and crashed bodily into the hard packed ground outside.

Ranma groaned, wincing as she struggled to her feet, dazed and unsteady as she tried to balance herself; she felt like she had been hit by a truck.

Heavy footsteps echoed forth from the dojo and grabbing her attention. She glared up at the entrance as the figure emerged from the darkness, the shadows sliding away like black water and came to a stop at the top of the stairs with massive arms folded in front of him.

Ranma's eyed widened and her face paled…

…. before narrowing with a feral snarl of hatred.

'You!' she roared. 'You're supposed to be dead!'

The Guardian sneered.

'It is time to pay for your crimes, Ranma Saotome!'

…..

…

…..

_**To Be Continued…..**_

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

** A/N: DUN DUN DUN!**

** The Guardian of the Jewel has returned!**

** Bet you didn't see that one coming?**

** I've been looking forward to this for a long time, since I first came up with the idea of TR back when it was a measly five chapter story, so this has been a long time coming. No doubt there are questions, but you're just gonna have to read the next chapter for those answers. Hehehehehe -insert evil grin here-**

** Have to admit though, I sorta struggled with how to start the chapter. I wanted to do a prologue eluding to the confrontation at the end but I just couldn't figure out how to do it. Everything I tried looked stupid, so I hope the chapter worked without it. **

** As for the rest… writing Akane finding out Ryoga's secret is always a hard task because there's so much expectation. Whenever I read stories where it does happen, its usually one sided with Akane being demonized all to hell, focusing more on her rage than anything else. I don't particularly agree with that characterization so I tried to focus more on her hurt so I hope that came across. It's hard not make her come off as irrational and unreasonable. I personally see both sides of the fence where Akane discovering Ryoga's secret is concerned. I can understand why she would be super pissed with them both, but at the same time she only has herself to blame.**

** Nabiki's misfortune didn't occur to me until I was writing the scene.**

** As for Ranma's misunderstanding Akane's meaning, well the way I figure it Akane gets to misunderstand everyone else and get away with it so I thought it was about time she got a taste of her own medicine. That aside, Ranma's still dealing with all the changes in her own life, everything's still raw and confusing for her and having someone call her pervert like that wouldn't help matters. Deep down she knows that's not what Akane means, but between heat of the moment and tempers running high, rational thought doesn't really come into play all that much. Even more so between two personality types like Akane and Ranma with how stubborn and hot headed they both are. Now in the manga and anime, Ranma however grudgingly usually backs down, he/she never really goes head to head with Akane in a real argument so I wanted to have her stand up to Akane's irrationalism for a change.**

** Anyway, with the next chapter we begin the final story arc of Tabula Rasa! The countdown is about to begin so buckle in…. its gonna be a bumpy ride. I hope to see you all around for it!**

** Until then…..**


	30. Chapter 29: Demons in Our Memories

**A/N:**

** Finally, after months of waiting, here is the next chapter.**

** First I would like to thank Fuyukazehime for the wonderful work she did beta reading this chapter, especially being so ill as she is at the moment and I hope she feels better soon.**

** Secondly, I would like to apologize. I should have had this chapter finished long before this but I have been swamped with course work which I am attempting reduce so that I can focus more on my writing. That being said, chapter 30 is almost finished, I just have two and a bit sections left to go on it and then start editing.**

** Now, to address a question from the reviewer Ceps. **

** It's obvious you haven't read or watched much of the manga or anime otherwise you would know that Happosai is the single most powerful fighter of the entire cast. For purpose of comedy the characters do manage to "take him out" with cheap shots, but he is the grand master of Anything Goes Martial Arts and several hundred years old and being punted away while groping a girl is not a reflection of his power/strength. Even Cologne, powerful as she is, is no match for Happosai and she too is a grand master. Furthermore, never once is Saffron said to be 3000 years old or a god for that matter, he is a supernatural creature yes but that is all, and additionally Saffron is referred to as the successor of the Phoenix Throne, implying that he had parents that ruled before him. As for Ranma defeating him, it was clearly stated that they interrupted his transformation, causing him to hatch too soon, so he was not nearly as powerful as he should have been AND it was also clearly stated that while he possesses powerful attacks, due to his pampered and spoilt upbringing he didn't have the physical endurance/stamina that the other characters did so the odds were stacked against him so Ranma could win.**

** So just because Ranma defeated Saffron, doesn't mean she can defeat Happosai.**

** Now, with all that being said, here is the next chapter.**

** I hope you enjoy.**

**..o:O:o.O.o:O:o..**

Chapter 29

_Demons In Our Memories_

The sky took on a dark orange hue as the sun sank farther into the horizon. The Nerima ward quieted as people filtered home until the streets were almost completely deserted. A chilly spring breeze kicked up ribbons of dirt and loose leaves and cast them around in small whirlwinds before scattering them about. In the distance dark clouds amassed on the horizon, dark and foreboding, almost as if alluding to something sinister approaching.

The people of Nerima had no idea how close that was to the truth.

Ranma screamed as she leapt through the air like a red headed ballistic missile and slammed the ball of her foot into the center of his face. The Guardian snarled in pain as blood exploded from his nose in a torrent of crimson. Before she could put any distance between them, he caught one of her ankles and slammed her into the ground. Ranma gritted her teeth and leapt to her feet within seconds, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out in pain even as her body screamed in protest. Blinded by rage she pressed the attack with all the fury of a feral animal. She saw his massive fist racing towards her like a freight train, but she was faster. She leapt and vaulted off his hand and kicked him in the face again staggering him backward as she used the attack to flip away and land gracefully in a crouch.

When she leapt at him a third time, he caught her in mid air with a haymaker that sent her flying, stars of white hot pain exploded in her eyes as she crashed into the ground. Flipping to her feet Ranma's eyes widened in alarm as the Guardian suddenly filled her vision, bearing down on her with his fist raised. Instinct took over and the red head rolled back, her lower body doubling over her upper body as the man's fist smashed into the ground and left a sizeable crater that sent vibrations rippling through her body. Ranma sneered and clamped her legs around his neck, locking her knees behind his head as he reared back, lifting her seemingly weightless form with him, and started raining down a storm of vicious punches straight into his face with her inhuman speed.

His hand wrapped around her slender neck and tore her free as he flung her into the dojo. She smashed through the wall, flipping end over end before she hit the floor, bounced and landed in a crouch, sliding to a stop at the other end of the training hall. Ranma snatched a quarter staff from the rack of training weapons closest to her and started for the entrance at full speed. The Guardian appeared in the doorway as she leapt through the air and slammed her feet into his abdomen. She flew into him with incredible force, catching him by surprise and driving the air from his lungs. Both of them sail into the yard.

The red head flipped backwards off the tall fighter, the extra oomph shoving the Guardian into the ground as she twisted eloquently through the air, landing atop a stone lantern in a crouch and her weapons extended to either side. The Guardian barely even paused before he was on his feet and coming at her again, his fist smashing through the stone lantern as she somersaulted over the top of him and cracked the broken ends of the quarter staff against his back with a resounding smack.

Before her feet had touched the ground though he whirled around, his thick arm collecting her out of mid air and flinging her into the wall separating their yard from the one next door. Ranma screamed as she smashed into the concrete, feeling it crack under the pressure of the impact before she bounced off and hit the ground in a heap, never more thankful for the rigorous and insane training her father had put through.

Without warning she was yanked off the ground by her pigtail, letting out a screech of pain, the burning claw of countless strands all pulling at the same time till it felt like it was going to rip her scalp her away. She swung wildly as tears beaded at the corner of her eyes, hissing through clenched teeth and trying to bite back the waves of agony rolling through her. Her swings missed as he held her out and away, before slamming his fist into her stomach. She couldn't stop herself from screaming as his fist sent waves of white hot nauseating pain rolling through her. Before she had time to recover her punched her again in the stomach and then across the face, letting the punch sent her flying side wards across the yard.

The red head hit the ground rolled limply till she came to a stop, curling slowly into a foetal position and grasping at her stomach and gasping through clenched teeth; her whole body cried, protesting with each movement as she forced herself on to her knees, doubled over coughing and choking back the urge to vomit and demean herself even further in front of him. She wasn't going to let him see her throw up from that hit, she refused!

'Did you think I would take it easy on you because you're a girl now!' the man growled coldly as he stalked closer. 'You forget!' He kicked her in the side and sent her crashing into stone lantern reducing it to broken rubble. 'I know what you are under that form!'

Ranma shot him a hateful glare, icy fire burning in her eyes.

Before he had a chance to react she shot from the ground and smashed her fist into his throat. His eyes bulged and he staggered backwards gagging and unbalanced. Ranma twisted in mid air, snapping the back of her hand across his face with an echoing crack spun him sideways, struggling to stay on his feet. Ranma jammed her elbow into the small of his back with all the force she could bring to bear, eliciting a roar from the man as he stumbled forward and fell to one knee.

Ranma snarled. 'Did you think, just because I'm a girl I'd go down that easily!?'

The Guardian returned her glare with a growl.

Ranma didn't flinch. 'Get up... we're not done yet!'

He hocked a glob of blood on to the ground and wiped his mouth as he climbed to his feet. 'I would be disappointed if we were, little girl.'

Ranma nearly felt her teeth crack she clenched her jaw so hard. She lunged at the muscular fighter, slamming her foot into the side of his face faster than he could react. His head snapped sideways, nearly knocking him off his knees, but as she landed and drew her fist back for another strike, he punched her in the stomach and sent her flying backwards. The red head hit the ground and rolled backwards head over ass into the garden.

When she pushed herself up, kneeling on one knee and her arms resting against the ground as she panted and winced at the rolling wave of nauseating pain rolling through her gut, dirt was smudged across her face and arms and clung to her clothing in dark brown patches. Despite her bravado, she was hurting badly, her body protesting against hits it was never designed to take. The red head grounded her teeth with rage as she glared at him; she wasn't going to lose to him a second time! She was going to beat him with the body he had trapped her in!

With a furious battle scream she flew at him in a power lunge and slammed her fist into his rock hard abdomen. She felt the bones in her arms creak and vibrate from the punch, but pushed through the resulting pain as he smirked down at her. She snarled and drew her fist back for another attack.

And roared '_Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken_!'

The smirk immediately vanished from the Guardian's face as her arms became a blur, throwing hundreds of punches out faster than he could blink, all of them slamming into the exact same spot every time as the red head screamed out all the rage and frustration. They started out at her normal speed, but they quickly got faster and faster as she accessed reserves of strength and power she had never needed to use before.

Before she had learnt the Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken she had been able to deal out hundreds of punches in a very small amount of time, now she could deal thousands, all aimed at the same spot. Sweat ran down her forehead, tinging her eyes as her face turned red and a pain unlike any she had ever felt before flare inside her bones. She screeched through the pain, forced herself to keep going until it felt like her bones had shattered in her arms melted the muscles around them. Tears of agony streamed from her eyes as she fuelled herself with every memory of every dark moment she had suffered in the last few months because of this man and pushed her attack further than she had pushed it before.

She didn't care what happened to her; she had to make him pay!

Without warning his knee slammed into her stomach, lifting her off the ground and straight into the path of the Guardian's closed fists as they smashed into her back and slammed into the ground. The wind rushed from her lungs as she hit the hard earth, feeling the shock vibrate through her tiny frame; she glanced up to see the Guardian stumble backwards, grabbing at his abdomen before collapsing backwards on his back, wheezing loudly struggled to catch his breath.

Ranma, sprawled out on the ground couldn't help but grin as she panted heavily trying to catch her breath. She could barely move her arms; they felt like dead weights and when she flexed them she winced and gasped, the skin of her knuckles were torn and blood ran down and between her fingers, staining the grass beneath her and turning it sticky. They felt like they were bruised from her finger tips to her shoulder blades, all the muscles and nerve endings aching with a fiery burn like nothing she had felt before...

... but it was worth it.

'Take that, you son of a bitch!' she snarled, almost laughing giddily...

... Then he sat up.

'Oh crap!' her eyes widened in disbelief.

The man's face was red with strain, sweat beading down his face. Inwardly she was shaking her head as he glared straight at her; it wasn't possible. She had hit him with thousands of punches with all the strength she could throw behind every single one, there was no way he should still be able to move this quickly! When she had done the same thing to Ryoga when he learnt the Breaking Point technique, with just hitting the same spot a hundred times with each attack he had been brought to his knees even with his monstrous stamina. How could the Guardian withstand an onslaught many times greater than that and still be able to move?

As the Guardian awkwardly rolled onto his knees, propping himself up with both arms panic rapidly flooded through the red head. A cry escaped her lips as a sharp pain shot through her arms as she rested her weight on them. Her teeth clenched to near breaking point, as she forced herself through the pain, her arms nearly buckling when she pushed herself up. She was too slow though, he was already getting to his feet when she finally pushed herself back on her needs. Her eyes widened in alarm and her body froze when he staggered towards her with his fist drawn back and lips curled with a vicious snarl.

'I will not be defeated by the likes of you damn it!' he lunged at her as his massive arm cleaved the air towards her.

Ranma threw her arms up to block, when out of nowhere Ryoga crashed tackled the man into the ground! Ranma blinked and rocked backwards in shock, falling on her ass as she turned to watch Ryoga and the Guardian slugging the ever loving crap out of each other with little to no skill, just wild swings of powerful muscles as they rolled and snarled at each other like a pair of rabid animals. She could only sit back and watch in speechless silence and confusion as they went at it.

The red head jumped when a hand clamped down on her shoulder without warning, and whirled around to find herself staring eye to eye with Akane.

'Akane!' she gasped, her confusion growing rapidly.

'Are you alright?' the other girl asked with genuine concerned, helping the red head to her feet before she realized she was even being pulled up.

Ranma nodded slightly. 'Wh... What are you doing here?'

Akane started to speak when her eyes widened dramatically. 'Look out!'

She yanked Ranma out of the way a second before Ryoga was sent flying past, crashing into the wall behind them. The Guardian was on his feet, panting and gasping, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and his jaw already starting to swell. He favoured his left side. Despite the beating he had taken, his eyes burned with an irrational rage, they could almost see the fire flaring from his nostrils.

'You think this is enough to stop me?' he spat a glob of blood on the ground at his feet. 'I'm far from done you pathetic insects!'

Ranma felt her skin crawl, the air around coming to life with buzzing energy, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as they took an unconscious step back from him, struggling with her body's desire to turn and run.

The Guardian's jaw clenched as a growl emanating deep from within him rumbled from his throat. Muscles in his arm rippled and veins danced with rapid pulses. Without warning his biceps bulged, the rest of his arms following seconds later as he let loose a grutal snarl as his arms lengthened and his fingers grew into claws. Ranma's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him change, remembering their last fight when he had emerged from the smoke of their explosive attacks already transformed. It had been shocking then, but watching it in process was something else altogether. She could hear bones and joints popping beneath the muscles, as the rest of his body followed his arms, ripping his clothing in places till they hung on him like shredded rags. She could only imagine how painful the process must have been.

The Guardian pitched forward and pounded the ground with his clawed fists and roared, his relatively normal human canine teeth sprouting into vicious fangs, his eyes turning wild and feral with rage. His hands opened and flexed, his claws leaving deep rents in the dirt. When he climbed back to his feet, a could two feet taller and he look up at them, the world around them had become like a vacuum of silence, time seeming to freeze in the moment his eyes locked with theirs. Ranma felt her heart pound inside her chest, felt Akane's grip on her arm tighten fearfully as they stared back rooted in place.

Then the monster's eyes narrowed with a low cold sneer.

Ranma hissed through clenched teeth and returned the glare as she yanked her arm free of Akane's grip and shifted into fighting stance. 'Come on then you son of a bitch! I'm not afraid of you!'

'Then you are a moron!' the Guardian snapped in a deep growling tone. 'When I'm done beating what I need to know out of you I'm going to rip your scrawny little body apart, one limb a time!'

The Guardian came at them like a freight train. Without thinking Ranma pushed Akane out of the way and threw her hands up to block the fist rushing towards her, and screamed the second she did. Agony shot through her limbs and into shoulders like little daggers of pure fire stabbing over and over again, tearing through muscle and bone alike. She only had the space of a heart beat to blink before the Guardian's monstrous fist smashed into her like a wrecking ball. She felt the world explode into a brilliant flash of white as the attack lifted her off her feet and threw her backwards at the wall. She slammed into it and bounced off like a rag doll, feeling the shock vibrate through her.

'Ranma, watch out!' Ryoga shouted.

Without bothering to look up she flipped on to her feet and leapt into the air as the Guardian charged again and obliterated the wall with another powerful punch.

'My arms might be out of commission!' Ranma flipped in mid air. 'But they've never been my strongest form of attack!'

As the Guardian whirled around and his eyes found her in the air, she dropped like a dead weight and drove the force of her fall into her heel and smashed it into his head. The man howled, his eyes going white with shock, spittle flying from his mouth. The ground beneath his feet cracked and caved into a crater as Ranma flipped backwards and landed in a crouch as he staggered backwards as well. He grasped at his head snarling though clenched teeth, struggling to keep his balance. Ranma winced at the ache working its way from her foot up her leg; she would have sworn his head was made of solid metal.

She forced that to the back of her mind though and climbed to her feet. She stumbled when her knees buckled, but Akane was suddenly there and steadied her. Ranma nodded her thanks, before refocusing her determination on the Guardian.

'Akane, Ryoga, we've gotta take him down now while he's distracted!' she barked.

'You want me to help?' Akane blinked in surprised, like she hadn't heard right. 'You never want me to help.'

'You're the one that's always telling me you're just as capable. Now you get to prove it,' Ranma smirked, forgetting for the moment that she was stilled pissed at her ex. 'If we attack him all together, he won't be able to shrug it off so easily. Let's bring him down now before he has the chance to recover!'

Before she could give them time to react she ran at him. She kicked him in the stomach and leapt away as he swiped at her like an enraged lion, Akane rushed past his defence and delivered a vicious chop to his hip, ducking away as he grabbed for her. Ryoga came out of nowhere and clocked him across the jaw before following Ranma and Akane's example and darting away. The Guardian roared and cried out as they did this over and over again, attacking him faster and faster and coming at him different angles every time before he had a chance to figure out where they were going to come from next. He staggered about throwing his arms abut uselessly at them but they didn't let up, not once. He was being knocked about all over the place, and howled with frustration.

As successful as the tactic was though he had the stamina of a rhino and refused to go down. He fought just as desperately to stay up as they did to bring him down, inflicting countless nicks and cuts with her razor sharp claws, leaving tiny trails of blood trickling down arms and legs. As a collective they were starting to take their toll on the young martial artists. Ranma panted heavily, her legs feeling like jelly as she struggled to stay up; Akane and Ryoga didn't look much better either, but like her they were still ready to go.

The Guardian however, she could see he was at the brink too. They just needed to push him over...

'Ryoga,' she caught his attention, distracting him from his own weariness. 'You hit him from the front and Akane and I will hit him from the back at the same time. If we all hit him at the same time we'll increase the damage he'll take. He's nearly down; we just need to push the advantage.'

Ryoga stared at the man and grounding his teeth. 'Whatever it takes.'

Ranma turned to Akane. 'You understand the plan?'

'I've got it,' she grimaced as she forced herself to straighten.

'Just follow my lead,' Ranma added calmly. 'Ryoga, be ready.'

The Guardian surged to his feet like a stubborn blaze refusing to be doused. Sweat cascaded off his feet, his mop of wild untamed hair matted and drenched with locks and strands plastering his face. Deep growl from the pit of his stomach match the hatred that burned furiously in his dark eyes.

'Try whatever games you want!' he told them sharply. 'It will make beating you all the more satisfying when I punish you for your crimes.'

'I don't know what you've been smokin creep, but...' Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and squeezed it tight. 'I'm not losing to you a second time!'

Ranma charged at the Guardian with renewed determination, dragging Akane behind her. She pushed all the pain and exhaustion to the back of her mind and forced her legs to work harder than before. They were only going to get one shot at this, they had to make it count. Then the Guardian's claws sliced through the air as his massive arm swung around, coming to bear, muscles and veins rippling beneath the skin. Ranma pulled Akane closer and hopped on to the man's shoulders at the last second, feeling the air ripple with the force of his swing before jumping to the wall behind him.

'When we land you gotta jump with all your strength Akane, we need to get as high as we can!' Ranma told her as they descended towards the wall.

'Right!' Akane's expression turned into a mask of determination.

'Ok, 1, 2, 3, now!'

The second their feet touched the wall, they leapt into the sky with all the power they could manage, the Guardian spinning around in frustration. The moment their feet left the ground Ranma hooked her arms around Akane's until they were back to back.

Akane gasped with realisation. 'Ranma, is this the-'

'Yes,' Ranma called over the rush of the wind as they shot up. 'Hold on!'

Before Akane had the chance to respond Ranma flung the other girl up over her shoulders. Akane was flung through the air, her arms tightening around Ranma's as the world spun around her. Suddenly she was pulling Ranma after her, the force of their weight pulling each other faster and faster until they were like a pin wheel, a blur of limbs as they rose shot higher and higher as the Guardian and Ryoga grew smaller and smaller below them. Ranma could feel the centrifugal force of their bodies as the air rushed past them, their hair whipping behind them wildly. Then they reached as high as they could, their bodies slowing for a few seconds as they reached the peak. Then gravity grabbed hold and they started to fall, the speed of their spinning picking up incredible force.

'This is it!' Ranma called. 'Are you ready?'

'I'm ready!' Akane replied, struggling to shout over the wind.

'Ryoga, now!'

Ranma unhooked one of her arms and pulled Akane to her side, their legs extended out alongside one another, their bodies bracing for the impact as they watched Ryoga rush the Guardian, trapping the man between him and them. The monstrous man whirled around to swat the Lost Boy away, but the teenager ducked and battered the arm away. Ryoga drew his fist back snarling in rage, the Guardian's eyes widening shock.

'Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Secret Technique!' Ranma and Akane screamed in unison. '_Dual Jet Stream Raging Waters Attack!_'

The two attacks impacted at the same time, with such force that it sounded like a thunderclap. The Guardian froze as his head shot back and he roared at the night, his body seizing in paralysed shock. Time seemed to freeze around the four of them for a just a moment. Then the girls fell back from him and Ryoga stepped back as the Guardian pitched forward and slumped to the ground in a heap, his eyes wide and unseeing as drool pooled around his face. Before their eyes his body started to change, shrinking as it reverted back to normal, leaving a tall but relative normal looking man in his place.

The three teenagers stood in muted silence, blinking in exhausted surprise at the fallen warrior...

Akane looked at them and asked. 'Now what do we do with him?'

**-oOo-**

Ryoga hoisted the Guardian off his shoulder and dumped him on the cold hard ground like he was dropping a bag of potatoes. The man didn't even so much as flinch. It had been well over half an hour and he was still out cold, his body covered in a mass of bruises that Ryoga took great satisfaction in. Even still he wasted no time grabbing the chains bolted to the floor and walls and shackled them to the Guardian's wrists and neck. Why Cologne had this stuff he wasn't sure he even wanted to know.

There wasn't really any other option except to bring him to the old Amazon's place. She was the only one that had any chance of containing him, since it was obvious they weren't going to be able hold him in Ranma's training hall or Akane's, not to mention dangerous. It had taken some effort though to get him all the way across the ward to the Cat Cafe though. He was surprisingly heavy and his size had made it awkward even for someone like Ryoga who was used to carrying heavy loads around all the time. The strange looks they had gotten from people they passed on the streets would have been comical if they weren't so exhausted.

'Will these hold him?' Ranma asked suddenly.

Cologne didn't seem very concerned as she stood there, leaning on her staff. 'I wouldn't worry yourself, dear. He doesn't look like he'll be putting up much of a fight for a while.'

'Good,' the red head spun away with a venomous snap and disappeared upstairs.

Ryoga stared after for several long seconds, before glancing at Cologne who nodded for him to go. The Lost Boy didn't waste any time as he hurried after her. When they showed up with the Guardian, Cologne had ushered everyone out and closed the Nekohanten, so they had the place all to themselves. By the time he caught up to her she was sitting at one of the tables in the cafe's dining area, with a first aid kit, her face and arms bruised and her hands trembling noticeably as she struggled with the kit, her finger still refusing to work with their usual level of dexterity. He watched her quietly for a moment to gather his thoughts; he had noticed before they even left her place that the fight had left her shaken and quiet, the exhilaration of defeating the son of bitch wearing off rapidly once they had him down. The Guardian's unexpected reappearance had gotten to her, leaving her with a faraway look in her eyes...

He watched as she awkwardly arranged the items from the kit, her features twitching in annoyance as she tried to remove the cap from some antiseptic. Eventually it ceased being amusing and he took pity on her as he went over.

'Need a hand?' he asked, and received a sharp look in response. He shrugged casually. 'No pun intended.'

Ranma rolled her eyes and turned away. 'I'm fine.'

'No you're not,' he replied calmly, pulling a chair alongside her and reached for the antiseptic. 'Let me hel-'

She jerked her hands away and snapped. 'I said I'm fine!'

Ryoga looked at her in surprise and found it mirrored in her face. Neither of them said anything for the longest time, letting the silence drift between them.

Finally she relented with a slight colouring of her cheeks and placed the little bottle in his outstretched hand, not wanting to meet his eyes. 'Sorry... I'm just feeling rattled...'

'I know, you don't have to apologize for that,' Ryoga offered an understanding smile and shook his head as he took some cotton swabs and removed the cap on the antiseptic. 'Especially after who you just fought.'

Ryoga gently took her right hand and lifted it, grimacing at the bruised and torn skin of her knuckles. Her hand was so tiny compared to his own, so delicate and fragile looking; he couldn't help but rub the back of her hand with his thumb. When he looked up to find Ranma staring at him with a faint hint of amusement he felt his cheeks warm and focused instead on what he was suppose to be doing. She hissed when he lightly dabbed the wounds with the antiseptic soaked swab, but otherwise she sat still and let him work. When he finished swabbing the last finger he took one of the bandages and started to wrap it, till he had covered half her forearm and all her fingers. Then he switched to her other hand, the whole time working in silence, even though the silence spoke volumes.

Ranma shook her head slightly. 'When... when I got my memories back and I remembered what I did to him, when I remembered killing him I... I...' she paused, sighing deeply. 'It affected me more than I let on. When I wasn't reliving that moment between us, in the forest,' her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink at that, before she coughed awkwardly. 'I was having nightmares about him. I still do sometimes actually. I keep seeing that look of pure terror in his eyes as he fell, that realization that he couldn't do anything except scream, and all I could do was look on with cold satisfaction knowing he was about to get exactly what he deserved... I wanted to go back and stop it all from happening because every time I thought about it, every time I relived it, it left me feeling... tainted...'

She wasn't even looking at him when she spoke, she was staring off faraway, a well spring of oppressed emotion just behind her eyes as she spoke, her voice thick with emotions. Ryoga though wanted to smack himself; he had never even thought to ask her how she was dealing with that.

'It's been so hard, pretending, mostly to myself at least that it hadn't affected me, but deep down I always knew it was going to haunt me for the rest of my life... And now I find out that son of a bitch has been alive this whole time!' she growled slightly, clenching her jaw so tight he heard her teeth creak. 'I should be happy though. I should be glad I didn't kill him, and yet the moment I realized who he was, who was attacking me... all that damn rage I thought I had let go of suddenly exploded inside me and all I could think about was making him pay all over again!'

Ryoga smiled slightly. 'Ranma, with what you've had to deal with in the last few months, anyone would feel the same way. Hell, most people would have just given up and accepted defeat. You shouldn't feel bad for being a normal human being!'

A smile touched the corners of her mouth as he stared at her, wishing there was more he could say to ease what she must be feeling. There was no denying that it was because he had let the Guardian get the drop on him that Ranma had been forced into that position in the first place, that was just a simple fact. He just wished he could shoulder that burden for her, if only for a while but he knew even if that was possible her pride would never allow him to do that for her.

As he stared at her he suddenly noticed that she wasn't looking at him, instead she was looking down between them, her cheeks reddening noticeably. He looked down and realized that he was still holding her hand and lightly rubbing his thumb along her bandaged fingers. He snatched his hand away, lowered his eyes and coughed awkwardly, feeling his own cheeks start to burn with embarrassment as he worried that he may have overstepped his bounds. He glanced up, just for a second, long enough to see the amusement in her eyes.

Then she looked at him thoughtfully.

'Ryoga, why didn't you ever tell me, about what I did to the Guardian back then?' she asked curiously, before grinning playfully and added teasingly. 'Were you embarrassed that you got saved by a girl?'

He couldn't help but snort. 'I was the one that ended up saving your butt, remember?'

'After I took care of the hard part,' she poked her tongue out at him.

Ryoga chuckled lightly, before shaking his head and adding a little more seriously. 'No, I wasn't embarrassed, it was just that after you woke and you didn't remember anything that happened I just thought that with everything you had to deal with at the time and with everything you were going through I just thought it might be better if I kept it to myself for a while...' he scratched the side of his face somewhat sheepishly, before his eyes widened a little with panic. 'I didn't keep it from you because I was trying to be the hero or anything like that!'

Suddenly he thought his face was going to catch on fire...

Ranma though just smiled with amusement. 'Thank you, Ryoga...'

**-oOo-**

Akane listened from the shadows of the kitchen, silently torn as she allowed their words to sink in; Ranma had been living with that burden this whole time and she never let on once. Part of her had to admit that this sort of put her own problems with the two of them at the moment into clearer perspective. Keeping Ryoga's secret from her seemed suddenly so insignificant compared to carrying around the guilt of believing you had taken someone's life. Akane couldn't imagine it herself... But, as much as she wanted to go out there and offer some modicum of comfort, she was still so furious with them that she didn't trust herself to speak with either of them at the moment.

With everything that was suddenly going on she thought maybe it would have been best if she simply just went home and let things cool down before attempting to talk to either of them again. At the same time though she wanted to stay and find out just '_what_' was going on anyway.

'Those two certainly do make a handsome couple.'

Akane nearly screamed when the old woman hopped alongside her, but it was only through a great deal of self control that she clenched her teeth together and forced it back down.

'I must admit it warms my heart to see her happy after so many trying months,' Cologne added casually as Akane glared down at her. Then the old woman sighed. 'And after I went to so much effort to get Ranma to marry Shampoo.'

Akane glanced around the corner at the pair. Despite her fears of awkwardness, Ranma really did seem more like herself since opening up about these newfound feelings towards Ryoga. Ranma acted with more confidence and was happier too. Even in spite of more recent events and tonight's encounter with the Guardian.

'You really should try to find it in yourself to forgive them child,' Cologne told her bluntly.

Akane frowned, irritated with the old woman's directness. 'I want to, I do... But I can't. Every time I look at them I just get so angry and hurt that I just want to punch them in their stupid little heads... But, I'm starting to realise I'm not angry at them for keeping the stupid secret, not entirely. I'm mad that they couldn't trust me, or that Ryoga thought I would think any less of him for being cursed...' She sighed sadly. 'What does that say about me though?'

Cologne smiled fondly at her. 'My dear, I think it's more of a case that those we care the most about are always the ones that drive us the craziest. However that's why we love them in spite of everything they put us through.'

Akane said nothing, she didn't need to really.

'I have been alive for a very long time child,' Cologne continued calmly, staring far off in thought. 'I have had secrets kept from me by those I trusted the most and kept secrets from those very same people. It is the way of things and sometimes the reasons for keeping those secrets aren't always the best ones, but they seem like it at the time. Give yourself time, and you shall find it within yourself to forgive them... You don't want to find yourself one day longing for another chance only to find the opportunity long gone... Take it from someone who has lost more friends and loved ones then you should ever have to know...'

-oOo-

Ranma didn't even so much as hesitate for a second when she grabbed the bucket of ice cold water and threw it over their prisoner. The Guardian came awake with a sharp intake of breath, sucking in a mouthful of liquid at the same time, causing him to cough and choke as they all stood back and watched. When he had finally regained his composure, the man noticed the heavy chains shackled to his limbs and neck, staring at them with groggy confusion...

Until he at last realised who was standing in front of him.

The Guardian surged forward with a terrifying roar, and came to an abrupt halt less than an inch from Ranma's unflinching form, even as the others - except for Cologne of course - flinched, ready to fight. She stood cool and collected, the smile on her lips not really one of any amusement, so much as it was one laced with cold almost venomous satisfaction as she watched him struggle uselessly with the chains.

Steadily, realising he was getting nowhere with the chains the Guardian settled in place, glaring down at her, his eyes nearly aglow with impotent rage; she could almost visualise the puffs of steam snorting from his flared nostrils.

'If you know what's good for you, you'll release me immediately!'

Despite the throbbing ache and fiery burn that accompanied every minute movement of her arms, she caught him across the face with a vicious right haymaker. The red head bit her tongue in jaw clenching pain to stifle the cry of pain that threatened to escape her lips as the punch resounded through the basement with an impressive crack. She could do nothing to stop her eyes from watering slightly though.

'Shut up you piece of shit!' she hissed, taking comfort in the fist shaped mark appearing across his face that made her pain all the more worth it. 'You're not in any position to make demands of us. You're lucky I don't knock your head off right now!'

He gave her a withering glare that matched the intensity of her own. 'When I get free of these chains, I am going to take great pleasure in making your scream, and when you beg me to stop I'll just make it make it even worse for you...'

'I'm not scared of you,' Ranma locked her gaze with him. 'Why did you attack us? Wasn't it enough that you ruined my life!?'

Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted it. She winced at the uncomfortable silence that descended upon the room and glanced hesitantly over her shoulder at Ryoga. He looked understandably stung, shifting a little awkwardly that was matched only by the awkwardness of the others as they tried not to look as if they were watching some soap opera. The sudden shift in the atmosphere didn't escape the Guardian either.

He smirked.

'Ruined your life huh?' he scoffed, before adding lewdly. 'Perhaps I did you a favour?'

Ranma whipped around to hit him again, but before she could bring her fist to bear he surged forward without warning, ripping the chain shackled to his right wrist, from the wall with a roar. Ranma reeled back in shock, barely managing to blink before he back handed her across the room. She sailed across the basement and crashed into Akane as the Guardian ripped out the other chain before using both hands to tear the one shackled to his neck free as well. It all happened so fast that the others barely had time react before he started to change, muscle popping and bulging as the man snarled with all the ferocity of an enraged animal.

Then Cologne walked over calmly, and jabbed him in the hip with her staff.

There was a loud pop and suddenly the Guardian was on his ass, staring in silent wide eyes shoc

'What did you do?' he demanded.

Cologne leant casually on her gnarled staff as she stared at the prone man. 'Were I you, I would not be worried about what I did do to you. I would be more concerned with what I could do to you...'

The air around the basement suddenly turned cold and the old woman seemed to grow several feet as her battle aura unfolded around her, ki withering about like snakes of energy. Her presence filled the entire room till it felt like it was a physical mass bearing down on the lot of them. Ranma found herself suddenly having trouble catching her breath, and the others didn't seem to fairing much better as she forced herself to glance around at them, all of them frozen in place. Cologne's attention wasn't on them though.

Her ghostly battle aura form glared coldly at the Guardian who gaped in trembling horror.

Her entire demeanour though was menacingly calm.

'You attacked someone I have grown very fond of, without warning or provocation and sent your people to attack two others I am also fond of,' she explained in an alarming, even tone. 'You are at the whims of my mercy and if you wish to live the rest of your life without the aid of machines, you will start to show some respect and dignity whilst you are under my roof... From this point on, you will answer every question you are asked... Do I make myself clear?'

And like that her battle aura was sucked back into the old woman's small body and Ranma felt the ability to breathe suddenly return in a rush. The Guardian could only sit there staring at the old woman, clearly humbled by her words, his face pale and his body still shaking noticeably.

Finally he managed a stiff, but hesitant nod, and the old woman jabbed the same spot again. The man gingerly moved his feet as if to as assure himself that she had restored the use of his legs.

Cologne turned to Ranma and beckoned her to proceed, but not before adding seriously. 'Don't let your anger get the better of you again child.'

The red head nodded as she untangled herself from Akane and climbed to her feet while her face turned red from embarrassment, suddenly feeling like a child being scolded.

She focused her attention on the man before her, after taking a deep breath.

'Why did you attack me?'

Ryoga abruptly cleared his throat very pointedly.

Ranma rolled her eyes. 'Us, why did you attack us?'

Barely contained rage flared behind the man's eyes. 'You can stop pretending, I know the two of you are the ones responsible for stealing the Jewel!'

Ranma's eyes widened in surprise as a collective jolt of surprise shot through the group. The moment passed quickly though for her as she screwed her face up in disbelief. 'I don't know nuffin about your stupid Jewel being stolen you idiot!'

'Liar!' The Guardian snapped.

Before Ranma could form a clever retort Akane cut her off. 'She's not lying though. Except for when she was taken by the Preservation Society and when we all went to the Ski Resort, Ranma hasn't left Nerima. She really doesn't know anything about the Jewel.'

Ranma couldn't help but react with surprise at Akane sticking up for her, not after the last few days. Then again it had been surprising that Akane had helped them fight the Guardian in the first place. Now that she took the time to notice, there seemed to be something different about her ex-fiancé. She wasn't oozing open hostility anymore, that much was obvious.

'I never said they stole it,' the Guardian sneered irritably, interrupting the moment and drawing the attention back to himself as he glared at her. 'I said she was responsible for it being stolen. She's the reason its location was discovered by the one we've been hiding it from. She told _him_ where it was! She is the disciple of the Vile One!'

Silence followed as they stared at him blankly. Ranma frowned and looked to the others for help, but they looked just as confused as she was.

Cologne narrowed her eyes darkly. 'Happosai. He's talking about Happosai.'

Ranma's eyes widened, mimicking the shock that ran through the others as they gaped first at the old woman, then at him.

The Guardian growled through clenched teeth at the mention of the old man's name. 'You are a student of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and is well known that Happosai is the Grand Master and Founder of the school,' he explained, with open hostility and disgust. 'You and your evil master will not get away with this I swear it. All of you will pay for your allegiance with that monster!'

Ranma grabbed a fist full of his dark blue martial arts gi and yanked him forward with a furious snarl, catching him by surprise. 'Happosai is not my master you moron! He never was and never will be! I'd rather eat raw sewerage than be that little bastard's disciple!'

'You are nothing but a liar and a thief,' the Guardian hissed.

Ranma went to punch him, but Ryoga stopped her suddenly, frowning with confusion. 'Why would Happosai steal something that only removes someone's form?'

The red head blinked at his question; she hadn't even considered that. With a great deal of effort she forced down a deep breath, struggling to remind herself to stay calm. She had to keep a level head to get to the bottom of this. Besides, as much as she wanted to take out every last scrap of rage and hate she had for him, she didn't like giving him the satisfaction of seeing how easily he was getting under her skin; it gave him too much power in all this.

She relaxed and Ryoga let go of her hand, as she turned back to the man. 'Yeah, why _would_ Happosai steal it?'

The man narrowed his eyes, seething. 'That is none of your business!'

'Obviously the Jewel is more than legend claims,' Cologne interrupted before Ranma could press him further. 'Happosai wouldn't steal something unless it served his degenerate purposes in some way.'

The Guardian glowered. 'You are irritatingly perceptive.'

Cologne smiled, as if pleased with herself. 'One does not come to be as old as I am without being so.'

They all looked to the man, waiting for him to explain even as he eyed them suspiciously. Finally though, his shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh, before dropping slightly. 'Well, for starters the thing that removes a person's secondary form, isn't the Jewel... It's me...'

Ranma's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, along with the others.

Even Cologne jerked with shock.

'What do you mean you're the one that does it!?' Ranma demanded.

He was silent for the moment, no doubt trying to decide what to tell them and what to hold back. Finally he added. 'Whether or not this is true, I will never likely know, however the story that has been passed down through my family for generations is that we are the descendants of those that originally created Jusenkyo thousands of years ago,' he explained with a tone of great reverence. 'My name is Tetsuya Kawahara and once upon a time, those of my blood could do what I did to Saotome without so much as breaking a sweat, but now our bloodline has become so diluted that in order to use the latent power we believe was inherited from the Ancients of Jusenkyo, we must utilize the power of the Jewel to perform the feat. It has been this way for many generations now.'

'Then, what is Jewel really?' Shampoo asked, clearly confused.

'That has been a matter of debate amongst our order for countless generations. If we did know what it was exactly, we forgot a long time ago,' he replied calmly. 'The most popular belief is that the crystal is a channelling stone that allows us to access the ki of the earth itself directly. We believe that when the ancients created Jusenkyo they used magic so powerful that they needed to use the crystal to tap into the earth's energy in order to enhance their own considerable power.'

Ranma felt like she was going to be sick; just imagining Happosai with something like that made her feel like she had eaten raw garbage... or something Akane had brewed together in her kitchen.

Cologne frowned. 'What led you to believe that?'

Guardian sighed. 'Because my ancestors wrote of finding it near Jusenkyo, in what had then been the remains of a village that had belonged to their ancestors several generations earlier. It had been abandoned due to some disaster the writings failed to specify. It was believed however, when the power of the Jusenkyo Stone was discovered that it may have been the cause of the disaster and so it was decided to keep the jewel hidden from the rest of the world. However we knew that knowledge of its existence would inevitably find its way to those outside of our clan, so, fearing that there would no end to the scores of people trying to obtain it, the elder of the clan kept the truth of its power to themselves and discretely spread the rumour that its power was solely for removing curses. Only those that became the Guardian of the jewel knew the truth. Pretending though that it was the jewel with the power, allowed each Guardian the chance to test the worthiness of those that came seeking to have whichever form they wanted removed.'

He stared pointedly at Ranma and Ryoga.

'You two failed, spectacularly.'

Ranma clenched her teeth as her cheeks burned.

'And yet Happosai somehow discovered the truth?' Cologne interceded before the fiery red head could snap on the bait.

'Indeed, though how he found out was always a great mystery amongst my ancestors,' Tetsuya nodded, a troubled frown furrowing his brow. 'When he attacked, he attacked without warning. We didn't have any time to raise any defences but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Nothing we did stopped him. We collapsed the tunnels and they didn't even slow him down; he ploughed through our efforts without breaking a sweat. Many of my brothers will never fight again thanks to his reckless assault, and,' he paused as he glared at Ranma. 'I was still recovering from Saotome did to me to be able to put up any kind of fight against him,'

Ranma crossed her arms and held his glare with a challenging glare of her own; inwardly she may have had her misgivings about what she did to him but she sure as hell wasn't going to show him any sympathy when he wasn't going to do the same.

'Just _how_ did you survive anyway?' she asked coolly.

'Were it not for the Jewel I wouldn't have!' Tetsuya sneered. 'When I fell, my last instinctual thoughts were to survive somehow. My subconscious willed the Jewel to let the Earth's ki to flow through me in vast amounts, healing my body over and over again... but it did nothing to dull the agony of being boiled alive as I slowly made my way to the edge of the lake. I wanted to die, but my fingers were seized trapping the stone in a living death grip! By the time I made it to the edge and my brothers dragged me out, I was mad with pain and my brothers had to break my fingers to remove the jewel from my grasp. I was bed ridden from the toll of having that much energy flowing through me continuously. You have no idea the agony I was forced to suffer because of you Ranma Saotome!'

Ranma shrugged indifferently. 'You should try having your body ripped apart by an asshat with a magic crystal.'

Except for a withering stare, the Guardian ignored that and instead added. 'I have answered your questions, now you will answer mine. Where is Happosai?'

'We don't know where the little freak is,' she answered honestly. 'Not that I should tell you anyway.'

'If you know what's good for y-'

'Ranma is correct,' Cologne confirmed calmly, cutting the man off. 'Happosai hasn't been seen for a couple of weeks now and no one in this room has any loyalty for him, nor any desire to aid him in stealing anything that would benefit him.'

Tetsuya grounded his teeth together with growing frustration. 'One of them must of been the one that told him. We have been hidden for so long that he could have only found out from one of them. If it was not them than how did he find out?'

'Oh...'

The room suddenly fell silent and everyone turned. Akane stood there with her hand to her mouth, face slightly pale with realisation as they all stared at her, watching as something akin to guilt flittered across her eyes.

Ranma sighed, trying not to sound exasperated. 'Akane, what did you do?'

The young woman shifted nervously. 'When Ryoga brought you back and you were sick, well Happosai returned from wherever it is he goes when he's not causing trouble for us and he asked what happened... and... And I told him... I told him everything, about where you had gone and about the crystal... He left again a couple of days later.'

Tetsuya's face turned an angry red. 'You stupid girl! Have you any idea what you've done!'

'Don't you dare talk to her like that, you bastard!' Ranma rounded on him in an instant, getting right up in his face with eye blazing like blue fire.

He met her glare without flinching, his eyes narrowing in hatred. 'Because of her, the most dangerous man on the planet is in possession of the most dangerous object in the world. Because of her my brothers are decimated and were nearly killed!'

Akane suddenly shoved Ranma aside and grabbed the man by his gi, catching him off guard with a furious glare that rivalled the red heads. 'Because of me? This is your fault for keeping that stupid thing just lying around. You sit there blaming everyone else but somehow you didn't do anything wrong! What about what you did to Ranma huh? You could have avoided everything that happened by explaining what the crystal really was but like a typical man you had to settle everything with your fists! Well because YOU and your little secret club couldn't make the right choice to get rid of the crystal now Happosai has it and you have the audacity to blame us!? You should be ashamed of yourself for what you've done! And just so you know when you 'punished' Ranma it wasn't just her life you were affecting, but you wouldn't know about that because all you care about, is your stupid little magic rock!'

The silence that followed this time was much thicker with tension as they stared in shock at the dark haired girls outburst, even the Guardian blinked with stunned confusion, like he didn't know what to do. Obviously he wasn't used to being scolded like a small child by someone that was barely half his size. Ranma didn't even know where to start as she all but gaped at the girl.

As if abruptly becoming aware of herself, Akane released her white knuckled grip on the man's gi and backed away.

At the same time the Guardian recovered his composure. 'I gave them plenty of opportunity to leave, relatively unscathed but they didn't heed my warnings. Besides which, they tried to take something they were not entitled to, instead of coming to us with peaceful intentions,' he glared somewhat righteously at the pair in question, before adding with a troubled frown. 'That being said, we must find Happosai and retrieve the jewel before it's too late.'

That was it.

The anger that had been boiling away inside the red head suddenly crested.

'Are you kidding me?' She demanded incredulously, unable to believe what she was hearing. She started to walk away, having had more than enough of this nonsense. 'Go to hell. You can clean up your own mess; it doesn't have anything to do with us.'

'Wait!' Tetsuya snarled at her, before turning to plead with Cologne. 'You don't understand. The jewel is dangerous. If I don't get it back there will be incredible consequences if its power is misused by the likes of Happosai!'

Ranma stopped with an exasperation huff and turned back, but it was Cologne that asked. 'What consequences?'

The Guardian looked at them gravely. 'If I don't get it back, the Jewel will explode.'

Ranma stared at him for the longest time, before a cold indifference settled over her as she snorted humourlessly.

'Well, if we're really, really lucky when it does it'll take him with it.'

And with that she stormed out.

**-oOo-**

'Damn it Ranma would you just wait?'

Ryoga growled with frustration as he followed the red head out of the restaurant. Much to his chagrin though she ignored him and kept on walking undeterred. He could almost see the aura of anger coming off her as she made no attempt to mask her mood. But, he wasn't going to be ignored either.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to an abrupt stop. 'Stop for just a second damn it!'

She glared at him with such intensity that he immediately released his grip. Her words dripped with venomous hate. 'There's nothing to talk about Ryoga.'

He sighed. 'Look, you have every right to be angry but this is about more than you or me or that bastard back there. You know what Happosai is like Ranm-'

'Exactly,' she interrupted irritably. 'He's too powerful as it is and now he has a magic crystal supercharging him! He's unstoppable and I'm not going to waste my time trying to fight that. I'm going to follow Cologne's advice and bide my time and when the crystal blows it'll hopefully deal with him and the Guardian will lose his precious little rock!'

She turned to walk off but Ryoga couldn't help but frown angrily. 'And what if it explodes when he's near children or a large population of people huh? They haven't done anything to you so would you really be willing to sacrifice them just to stick it to those two?'

Ranma stopped, her eyes glued to her feet in silence.

'That's what I thought,' he added.

She shook her head as she glanced back at him. 'I don't think I can do it this time...'

They stood there, neither of them saying a word as a crowd of people enjoying the night life, moved around them like a parting sea. Not caring who saw them, Ryoga gently took her hand in his, and got her to meet his gaze.

'You've never backed away from any challenge in all the time that I've know you,' he squeezed her hand reassuringly; he wasn't used to being the one that encouraged others being the loner that he was, but this was the first time that he wanted to be. 'You didn't back down from Herb, or Saffron, not from anyone you've faced when most others would have given up and accepted defeat. Your confidence in the face of all your opponents is what gives everyone the strength to fight alongside you. That's what kept me and Moose fighting with you against Herb and his lackeys, and against all the other opponents we've faced together. Even with everything you've been forced to go through in the last few months you still managed to beat the Guardian by not buckling under the weight of it all, and not only that but you've flourished. You can do this. Not because you have to, but because that's who you are. You don't give up and you don't walk away from a challenge just because it might be hard... That's you, that's Ranma Saotome...' he paused, taking a deep breath, gathering strength from deep inside. 'And damn it, that's what makes you so incredible...infuriating, but incredible...'

Ranma stared up at him for the longest time with wide blue eyes that registered a stunned glimmer of surprise; he felt his heart race in that silence as he stared back, feeling the beat of her pulse through her wrist as it increased rapidly. The crowd of people around them disappeared into the background as he waited for her to say something, anything...

Then she lowered her eyes and pulled her hand away.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered quietly. 'But this time... this time I just can't...'

Without another word she leapt into the air and disappeared, bounding across roof tops and into the darkness of the spring night...

**-oOo-**

It was late when Ranma walked into the backyard, pausing to observe the damage she and Tetsuya had caused during their _little_ battle. The place looked like a bomb had hit it. Debris was scattered everywhere. The dojo was a wreck, the wall separating the houses was cracked with chunks missing from it, and the ground was blasted with small craters. She couldn't help but sigh as she stared; it was all a great big mess, and she didn't just mean the backyard for that matter either.

The red head frowned, fuming with renewed aggravation.

How dare that over sized wind bag have the nerve to ask her for help!

And Ryoga! Did he really just expect her to put aside everything that she had been through because of that bastard? Did he think it was that easy to pretend that she hadn't just gone through practically three months of pure hell trying to get to where she was now, because it wasn't! Every time she looked at that bastard all she could think about was what she had been through, like a nasty wound being reopened, and the agony of having her male form torn apart. No, there was no way she could just forget what he had done to her.

Besides, what the hell did she care if Happosai went and got himself blown up? It would be doing everyone a damn favour!

But, as she stared at the destruction around her, her shoulders sagged.

An annoying voice whispered in the back of her mind. _'But you _would_ care if an innocent was hurt because of you!'_

Ranma shook her head with a new frown and started gathering the pieces of dojo scattered across the yard, and deposited in a pile just inside the damaged building. If it was one thing she had learned after living with the Tendo's for so long, it was how to repair a training hall on the cheap. Though even as she looked at the dojo now she was starting to doubt even her ability to patch up this damage.

'Are you going to just stand there or are you going to help?' she demanded as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead to wipe away a sheen of sweat.

Her father snorted. 'You know the rules. You clean up your own mess.'

Ranma put her hands on her hips and gave him a very chilling stare. 'So when I had to clean up your messes that was what?'

'Now you just sound like your mother,' Genma replied, rolling his eyes.

Grounding her teeth together and resisting the urge to deck the old man; it had been a long day and having her father trying her patience and grinding her last nerve was not helping one bit, and certainly not when she had piles of jagged pieces of wood within arm's reach.

'What, do you want, pops?' she demanded, growling lowly.

He shrugged. 'I want to know what you're planning to do.'

'About what?' she snapped gruffly.

'You know what,' he replied seriously. 'Akane just stopped by and told us everything that happened. Were you going to tell us at all?'

Ranma looked away, frowning.

'Akane should learn to mind her own business.'

Without warning her father smacked her hard upside the back of the head, hard enough that she felt her brain rattle in her head. She yelped sharply and stumbled forward, grabbing at the back of her head as her eyes watered slightly. She had almost forgotten that he had no qualms about being heavy handed even if she was a girl.

'What the hell was that for damn it!' she screeched as she whirled on him.

He gave her a stern disapproving look, one that was rare for him. 'You need to recognize when someone is offering you a truce, and you need to put this nonsense with Akane behind you. Even if she's still angry with you, she still cares about you.'

She glared furiously at him with her lips pursed, although despite the smarting throb where he had hit her, inwardly she was grateful that he still treated her as he always had and didn't feel the need to treat her with kid gloves.

Genma looked around as he stepped inside the damaged dojo with a curious look. 'Where's the boy?'

Ranma's frown deepened, eyes twinged with annoyance.

'If you mean Ryoga,' she replied frostily, 'then he's probably still trying to help that bastard come up with a plan to fight Happosai.'

She went back to collecting what was left of the training hall rubble and adding it to the growing pile, making no attempt to disguise her angry frustration as her father watched her in silence. Why should she hide it anyway? She was mad that Ryoga could so easily join sides with that son of a bitch, especially when it was obvious that it pissed her off so much.

'That's a shame,' her father said finally. 'I was starting to get used to seeing him around here.'

Ranma shrugged, as if she couldn't care less.

Genma grinned mischievously. 'Whatever shall you do without someone to stay up late talking to every night, without Ryoga here to keep you company?'

Ranma nearly tripped on a piece of wood as she felt her face suddenly turn bright red, feeling like it was on fire as she froze in her tracks. Genma roared with laughter as she struggled to keep her balance. Ranma glared helplessly at him, trying to stop her face from burning even as he continued to laugh.

'Your mother thinks it's so cute the way you two spend so much time together out here...' he continued, pausing as he made quotation marks with his fingers. '...talking.'

Ranma felt her cheeks burn even hotter as her eyes widened in horror, her mouth opening and closing in wordless shock, her brain failing to string them together into a sentence.

'What!?' she demanded in panic as she finally found her voice, afraid her face was about to melt off. 'No! It's not like that! We... We jus-'

'Oh sure it isn't' her father winked as he cut her off, as if he was in on some great big secret.

'Oh shut up! Leave me alone!' She pouted furiously, all but stamping her feet like a child. 'Stupid old panda!'

The teasing eventually - and mercifully - ended, though only because her father ran out of immediate material to use against her. By the time he was done Ranma thought her face was going to melt off it felt so hot, which only served to egg her father on even more. She wanted to just wrap herself up and crawl into a hole to escape; he had always known just how to press her damn buttons.

When she was done though, they sat on the roof of the dojo and stared at the stars above in silence as they used to when she was a kid. She was grateful for the silence, though it was filled with unspoken questions. Ranma almost wished she was a kid again, longing for the days when things were so much simpler, before she had ever heard of curses and magic, when it was just simple, if not extreme martial arts training. Her life was so complicated that sometimes she wasn't even sure which way was up or what direct was forward.

Like now.

'What do you think I should do?' She asked in a quiet but neutral voice.

Her father didn't reply straight away, instead he just continued to gaze at the night sky as if deep in thought. Then, he said. 'You should help them.'

Ranma frowned; that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

'I can't beat him though,' she pointed out bitterly. 'Remember what happened the last time I challenged him.'

Genma sighed, before looking at her seriously. 'Ranma, if anyone could find a way to defeat him, it would be you. You may not believe that, but you are the best martial artist I've ever seen, and I've never told you that enough before. You still have a lot to learn, wisdom that can only be learnt over time, but fighting comes as easily to you as breathing does to others, I knew that from the moment I started training you.'

Ranma could only gape a little in surprise at him, at the sincerity she heard in his words.

'You have to realize though that Happosai isn't invincible, magic crystal or not,' he reminded her calmly. 'He's just really good at what he does; Manipulating people. That's his greatest strength, not his fighting skills... His ability to goad anyone and everyone into making rash decisions. But he's not invincible; you just need to figure out a strategy to use against him.'

'But the crystal makes him so powerful,' she drew her knees under chin, frowning at the tiled roof as her arms hugged her legs. 'After that last fight with him, I just can't imagine being able to overcome that sort of power, not enough to be able to stop him.'

'You won't know until you try,' Genma told her. 'More importantly, could you ever forgive yourself if you missed the opportunity to stick it to the old goat for a change for all the crap he's done to you?'

It wasn't hard for Ranma to conjure a dark look at that thought, making a disapproving grunt as she frowned; of course she wanted to kick his little wrinkly ass. After all the humiliations she had suffered and endured thanks to that little monster she wanted nothing more than to pay it back in full and make him suffer ten fold... But that was like wishing upon a shooting star, it was nice to think about, but the chances of it coming true was beyond hope...

'Look, I don't always know the right thing to say,' her father added seriously. 'But this isn't something you just walk away from, any more than you could walk away from all this stuff that's happened between you and the boy. Not only is this against the martial artists code, but it's against everything that you are and if that wasn't true you wouldn't be so conflicted about it now...'

He paused briefly to let that sink in, before finally adding.

'But... If you still don't want to help, I won't force you. That's your choice, but just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and not because you're pms'ing,' Ranma snapped her head around and pinned him with blazing glare; yet he just smirked. 'There's that fire we all know so well.'

He hopped off the roof before she could even think about hitting him, and called up to her.

'Think about it.'

And with that he disappeared inside the house, and after a few seconds, Ranma flopped back in aggravation as she returned her attention to the stars while she mulled over the decision before her...

Suddenly there was a loud crack that split the silence. Ranma only had time to blink with wide blue eyes, before the section of roof she was laying on gave away and collapsed inward and with a scream she crashed to the floor inside the dojo.

She groaned loudly, sprawled amongst the pile of rubble.

She was so done with today!

**~oOo~**

Ryoga was only listening half heartedly as Cologne sat with the Guardian, along with Shampoo and Mousse and discussed at great length Happosai's attack on the previously hidden sanctuary of Tetsuya's brotherhood and how to stop the little troll. Really though Ryoga's mind was elsewhere as he found himself replaying his last encounter with Ranma over and over again in his mind. He couldn't stop seeing the pain in her eyes as he stupidly asked her to try and put it aside; now he felt like ass because of it. Her reaction wasn't unexpected and he shouldn't have been surprised, after all he had asked her to help someone that had done more to damage her life than any other. It was an impossible request.

Leaning against the wall with his arms folded the teenager argued with himself that he should have went after her, but another part, a part that knew better was sure they would have only ended up arguing with her. Fighting with her was the last thing he wanted to do...

Feeling the way he did about being in the same room as the Guardian, as this Tetsuya he could only imagine how much worse it was for her. How she reined in her desire to beat the ever loving crap out of the man he would never know. Tetsuya was unrepentant though, even as a prisoner and even now in this uneasy truce he made no effort at all to make amends for what he had done, despite the fact that it would go a long way in earning some good will with them.

Were Ryoga in Ranma's shoes he would have walked out too, but all the same it didn't change the fact that he felt a deep obligation to stay and help and he knew Ranma felt it too, it was just that her anger and pride outweighed any sense of obligation she had to help them. He simply prayed that if he gave her the time and space she would come around and help, but he feared it was more than he could ever hope for.

_'Wasn't it enough that you ruined my life!?'_

The teenager winced, his shoulders sagging slightly.

He knew Ranma's emotions were high strung at the moment, coming face to face with a man that had not only taken so much from her, but one that she had just spent the past month or so living with the burden believing she had killed; but, it did little to lessen the sting of her words. Ryoga sighed though as he reminded himself that it had barely been four months since she had been trapped as a girl, since everything changed for her and everything since then had been a relentless whirlwind for not only her but all of them. He couldn't just expect her to have moved on completely just yet just because of how things had been between the two of them lately.

Although, that being said he had no idea what things between them really were at this point.

They had been on a date and despite all their fears and procrastinations about how it was going to end, they had both enjoyed themselves and had a great time together; and, the world hadn't ended to boot. They hadn't discussed anything more about it since though, expect for the few words between them on the way home from the fair and then everything with Akane had happened. All he really knew is that he had a good time and wanted to spend more time with her, and that seeing her in pain, seeing her in the emotional turmoil she had been in earlier was like a white hot dagger slicing through him. What hurt even more was that he felt like some part of him had caused that by deciding to stay and help find a way to stop Happosai.

Even if that meant helping those he'd rather not.

Ryoga glanced over at the table where the Guardian sat with Cologne and her young charges. Standing beside and behind Tetsuya was a handful of his men that had attacked both him and Akane earlier. The teenage boy glared with disgust at one of them specifically; the man that had threatened to molest Ranma in her helpless, fevered state. Just the thought of him putting his filthy hands on her filled Ryoga with a righteous rage that burned through him. It was all he could do to stop himself from breaking the bastard's neck with his bare hands.

'How are we supposed to get the jewel away from him?' Mousse asked suddenly. 'If he has an unlimited supply of energy at his disposal he's not going to let us get close enough to remove it.'

Tetsuya shook his head. 'The Earth's ki is vast but it isn't infinite. Compared to what humans are capable of containing at any given time it may seem infinite, but it isn't. It has its limits just all things do and tapping into that power and using it recklessly will do more harm to the planet than you can imagine.'

Mousse and Shampoo blinked blankly at him, causing the man to sigh with frustration.

'The Earth's energy helps to maintain the fragile the balance between the forces of nature, to keep it in check. However, when someone uses the Jewel, it borrows energy from the Earth's ki and depending on how it's used; it can cause a disruption in the flow. For example, when I and those before me have used it, we use it simply to enhance what we already have, borrowing only what we need and channelling it a controlled manner, and although this still causes disruptions they are small and pass by without major incident. Nothing that we borrow goes to waste and ideally we spend a long time afterwards replacing what we use,' he explained. 'However, when it is used incorrectly, when the user simply takes the energy from the planet and uses it as raw energy to attack and destroy without controlling how the energy is taken, it causes massive disruptions in the flow of Earth Ki and this in turn causes a dangerous imbalance in the forces of nature. The more it is used the more these anomalies will increase dramatically until there are wide spread disasters across the planet. I spent the majority of my life learning all there was to learn about safely channelling that energy to avoid doing just that; Happosai doesn't have any of that training, only instinct and base nature. I am willing to wager that if you checked there will be reports of peculiar weather in different parts of the world happening right now.'

The silence that followed was heavy as they took this in; they were all well aware that Happosai wasn't exactly the paragon of self control. If Tetsuya was to be believed, things were going to get very bad, very quick if they didn't find a way to stop the little bastard.

'How we supposed to beat pervert old man?' Shampoo wondered aloud what they were all thinking.

'They same way we beat Pantyhose Taro!'

Ryoga's eyes widened and he whirled around to find Ranma standing in the door way to the restaurant, her expression set in one of forced determination. Everyone was surprised, her sudden appearance stealing the attention of the room in a way that only Ranma could do. For a brief second though her eyes focused on Ryoga, and the fierce gaze softened as she gave him an apologetic look, one that he returned in kind, glad that she had come back.

Then the fierce look was back as she walked in.

'And Herb,' she added. 'And Kirin, and Toma, and Saffron and every other damn challenge we've faced before! We'll do it together and we won't quit until we win. We'll beat Happosai because we have to.'

'How, though?' Mousse asked, not sounding as convinced.

Ranma shifted her attention to Tetsuya, frowning with distaste as she leant on the table. 'You have something in mind. I can see it in your eyes. Otherwise you wouldn't be so adamant about fighting Happosai if you didn't have a trick up your sleeve, so out with it already.'

'You watch your tongue you insolent child!' one of Tetsuya's men growled, the one that had promised to molest her.

Ryoga levelled a dangerous glare at the man, returning the growl.

Tetsuya though put a hand on the man's shoulder and motioned for him to back off. He met Ranma's challenging gaze. 'Yes, you are right. I _might_ know of a way. However, I'm not certain that it'll work, which was why I had not mentioned it yet.'

'Tell us anyway,' Cologne replied calmly.

Tetsuya nodded. 'Understand that this story is several hundred years old now, but the story goes that when Happosai was young and he first went to China, he didn't do so willingly. He was driven out of Japan for his crimes and indiscretions. None of his crimes were so severe that they warranted execution, but he had become enough of a nuisance that they banished him, sent him into exile forcing him onto a raft and pushing it out to sea. Eventually he ended up in China. When my ancestors decided that the Jewel was no longer safe from him they decided that the safest place to hide it would be in the land that banished him, so they moved it to Japan. Specifically they moved it close to a temple reported to be home to a secluded order of martial artists... that had discovered a fighting style that can defeat Happosai...'

Ryoga's eyes widened mimicked by Ranma, Shampoo and Mousse as they stared in shock.

Cologne looked sceptical however. 'I have heard of no such order in all my three hundred years of life.'

'It wouldn't be a very effective secret order if you had,' the same follower from before snorted sarcastically... and received the coldest, most deadliest look Ryoga had ever seen Cologne give anyone, making the man flinch with fear.

Tetsuya coughed, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

'We, my ancestors that is painstakingly eradicated as much of knowledge of their existence as they possibly could for their own protection,' he explained, shooting a disapproving glare at the man as he did. 'The idea was that in the event that our security became compromised, we could get the jewel to their temple for safe keeping... we didn't anticipate that Happosai would get to the jewel before we could get it to them...'

Ranma frowned. 'Why didn't you go to them for help then, before coming here?'

Tetsuya grounded his teeth together in annoyance.

'I did,' he replied darkly. 'They wouldn't let me on to their sacred grounds.'

'Why?' the red head asked. 'Did they think you were a jerk too?'

'Ranma,' Cologne chided warningly.

Tetsuya sneered at her, before sighing with frustration. 'Only women are allowed on to the grounds...'

Ranma straightened with surprise, glancing at the others to see them react the same way, even Cologne. Then the red head nearly snorted with laughter. 'Wait... are you telling me-'

'Yes!' the Guardian snapped, cutting her off. 'The secret fighting style developed to defeat Happosai... can only be learnt by women...'

**To Be Continued**

**..o:O:o.O.o:O:o..**

**A/N:**

** Not going to spend much time here, just a few quick things.**

** The fight at the beginning was really fun to write, having Ranma have such a brutal throw down with the person that's been the root cause of so much of her suffering up till this point. Only thing I wish I could have done better was the little team up between Ranma and Akane. I think I could have described it a bit better, but by the point writing the whole fight was taking it out of me and attempts later to rewrite it just didn't feel right so I decided to just leave it be and accept that sometimes problems don't resolve themselves the way you want them to; this was one of those things.**

** The attack I had Ranma and Akane use was - if I remember correctly - an anime only attack that they used in the Dojo Destroyer episode. For some reason it just seemed appropriate to me; in the fight it was the first time Ranma and Akane really worked together as a real team to take the Dojo Destroyer down, so I figured it was appropriate for them to use it here against the Guardian. **

** Now, for the big thing. **

** Happosai.**

** Now, for the record, this was always going to happen, and at times I've questioned whether this was smart but once I set my mind on doing something its extremely hard for me to pull up and do something else, even if that means crashing head first into the ground. I did try to consider some alternatives, but in the end I have to remain true to my story instead of trying to please every reader. So for those that may have a problem with me using Happosai like this, sorry but that's just the way it is; know however that I have this planned out, I'm not flying by the seat of my pants with this.**

** As for the Secret Order that the Guardian mentioned well... just keep reading...**

** Hope you stick around for the next one.**


	31. Chapter 30: The Paths We Tread

**A/N: **

** Wow, two chapters barely a month apart! **

** Today marks the fourth anniversary since I started this story and in all honesty, I planned to have it finished long before now. However, as with all things in life, things rarely if ever go exactly according to plan and for me Tabula Rasa represents that with incredible accuracy. Certainly the fact that this story was originally only meant to be a seven chapter story is proof of that! **

** Since I started this story a lot has happened in my life, some very major things such as the death of one of my grandmothers and the death of my younger brother and those events hit me hard and contributed to the reasons why this story has been so long in reaching the finish line. Along with dozens of other little irritating things that didn't help so much either, such as being evicted from two apartments because the owners either wanted to renovate and sell or because they were going to let family live there. School of course has also played a large role in the protracted time it's taken to get this far.**

** However, for all the road blocks, u-turns and piles up that I've ran into since starting Tabula Rasa I have also learnt so much about myself and writing; things that I don't think I would have learnt if I hadn't started on this journey. More and more I'm facing my creative demons that strive to stop me from succeeding in what I love to do and I'm forging forward with a clear goal in mind. I still have a long way to go but I know I'm going to get there one way or another, but for me failure isn't even an option. **

** I will succeed.**

** By far though, I am most grateful to you, the readers. When I started Tabula Rasa, I didn't really have high hopes that it would be well received. After all, there are so many Ranma-chan stories around and just as many Ranma-chan/Ryoga stories, so I honestly believed that my story would just fall through the cracks, a review or two here and there and that would be it. But here we are, four years and 645 reviews later! That might seem like small nuggets compared to the amount of reviews some writers accumulate on their stories, but for me it's a symbol that I've done something right and that starting this story, for all the misgivings I had about writing at all when I started it, was the right one. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. From those that have been with it from the very beginning, to those that are jumping on now as we approach the finale. **

** A special thank you goes out to Blade Redwind and Nokito-chan for all the help and support they've offered and without them I'm really not sure I would have made it this far!**

** I still can't believe how much the story has evolved since its initial concept as showing Ranma's progress in coming to terms with being trapped in her girl form and developing feelings for Ryoga. I've kept all the core elements and events that I originally conceived for it, but when I first came up with it I never really stopped to considered just how extensive that journey needed to be and I've had to elaborate greatly on those initial things and develop so much more. In fact I look back now and laugh at the idea that I could have done this in seven chapters!**

** Anyway, let's get this show under way!**

..o:O:o.O.o:O:o..

Chapter 30

_The Paths We Tread_

_And the Choices We Make_

The forest was filled with an ominous silence, save for the near constant dull drone of insect life. It was an ocean of different shades of green that splashed the irregular landscape beneath the dark canopy of ancient trees and their intertwining limbs that blocked all but thin beams of sunlight scattered throughout, giving it an otherwise other worldly atmosphere. The trees were old, their trunks as wide as they were tall, towering high above. This part of the Japanese wilderness was as yet untouched by the march of progress and was unsullied by human hands, devoid of any urban development for miles around, except for the occasional crude makeshift trail that looked as those they hadn't been used for years.

Crouched within the shadows, beneath a fallen tree that had been toppled by some force of nature in the not too distant past Ranma breathed deep the fresh air and the scents of nature, from the faint perfume smells of flowers that hung on the air to the more prominent scents of rot. Moss covered the cracked stump and the main bulk of the trunk above her, bugs and critters skittering along it foraging for food. The fresh air was like a breathing in pure energy, filling every part of her being, something you just couldn't get living in a place like Tokyo and its various wards. It was invigorating in a way that warm beds and houses just couldn't compete with. It sparked memories of her childhood and all the many nights she and her father had spent sleeping under the stars when tents hadn't been necessary.

She had almost forgotten how good this felt.

Then a twig snapped and her eyes narrowed. In this relative silence it may as well have been a whip crack it was so loud. It roused the hairs on the back of her neck and her muscles tensed as her eyes narrowed dangerously. Bruises that ran the length of her bare arms, dotting her flesh in a motley pattern throb and ached, but it had dulled considerably from earlier.

"Alright," she muttered under her breath. "Come and get me damn it."

She was ready and raring to go, fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white and her nails bit sharply into skin, though not enough to draw blood.

Warnings shot through her like jolts of electricity.

Behind her!

With lightning fast reflexes she leapt from her hiding spot and spun and kicked the missile like object out of the air and sent it flying into a tree dozens of feet away where it exploded in a thick cloud of white with a heavy thud. Ranma only had a second to react before Ukyo came flying out of the trees with a battle cry following a barrage of shuriken spatula's that dotted the ground as the red head leapt backwards. Ranma looked up in time to see the giant spatula slicing down towards her and dropped and rolled backwards, feeling it swish past her and embed in the ground. The red head came back on her feet at the same time Shampoo leapt from no where, battering aside branches and bushes with her twin chui.

Ranma didn't even think, she just reacted.

The red head jumped and landed atop the girls hammer weapon, smirking cockily as their eyes met for the briefest of seconds, enough time for Shampoo to glare daggers up at her before Ranma flipped backwards over Ukyo and kicked her in the small of the back and sent her colliding into the purple haired girl. The two of them went down in a tangle of limbs and weapons, cursing at each other. Shampoo finally untangled herself and all but threw Ukyo aside, leaping to her feet and charging forward in a rage of Amazon pride.

Ranma skipped and hopped back, just out of the girl's reach as the chui cleaved the air between them in a series of wild un-aimed swings that she had come to expect from the Chinese girl. Then Ranma backed into a tree, coming to an abrupt halt with a start, a smile of victory stretching Shampoo's lips into the grin of a cat that had cornered its prey.

She just didn't understand though, that she wasn't the cat this time.

Ranma flipped straight up as Shampoo's weapon thrust into the tree trunk, pulverising it into a shower of splinters as the red head soared over her before bouncing off the tree. Shampoo was read to follow when the tree gave a loud mournful creak of protest, followed by a resounding crack as it gave under its own weight and snapped where the girl's weapon had tore through it like paper. Shampoo's eyes widened to saucers as it toppled forward in slow motion and its shadow expanded around her.

'Shampoo!'

Before she could react chains flew out of nowhere and wrapped around her waist. A second later she was yanked out of the way as the tree crashed into the ground and shook the forest with its massive bulk. The Chinese girl found herself in Mousse's arms, his oversized sleeves wrapping around her like a safety blanket as she stared up at him.

'Are you alright my sweet Shampoo?' he asked, voice thick with concern, staring like she was the most important person in the world, someone he would give his life for.

Shampoo stared at him silence for a few seconds more, feeling the hardness of his chest through his ropes...

... before her cheeks puffed with anger and she swatted him over the head with her chui.

'Stupid Mousse no need to protect Shampoo from stupid tree!'

Ranma had landed in a crouch safely clear of the falling tree, feeling the force of the impact vibrate through her as it threw up a great cloud of dirt all around her. Her shoulders rising and falling rapidly, she took a second to regulate her breathing, beginning to feel the strain setting in as she wiped a film of sweat from her brow. How long had it been now? Two hours? Three?

It didn't matter, she had to keep going!

Her eyes went wide and she threw herself to the ground a second before the spatula sliced over head. Ukyo came at her through the cloud with a fury of strikes that the red head was only just managing to avoid, caught off guard by the sudden attack. She was about to strike back when Ukyo changed the angle of her attack without warning slammed her with the flat side of the weapon and sent her flying through the forest and into a tree before falling to the ground in a heap. Ranma felt the impacts explode through her tiny frame, rattling bones and causing the world to spin around her.

Great, she thought at the back of her mind, more bruises to add to her growing tapestry of discoloured flesh.

Her lungs ached as she tried to catch her breath and shrug off the increasing throb of pain working its way maliciously through her body. She propped herself up on one arm, looking around for her attackers. She felt Shampoo close by, readying herself for another attack and Ukyo wasn't far off either. They would come at her again soon, they weren't going to give her enough time to recover her wits; they were going to strike with a vengeance! But that wasn't her main concern...

Where was the other one?

Her ears twitched and she whirled around, and caught the fist the smashed through the cloud of dirt. Time froze for a second as Ranma found herself eye to eye with Akane, their gazes locked in cold glares boring into each other.

'You're still too heavy footed,' Ranma hissed.

Akane's eyed narrowed. 'And you're still too full of yourself!'

Without warning the other girl's foot snaked behind her own and everything turned upside down as her legs were pulled from under her. Ranma hit the ground hard with Akane on top of her, driving her knee into her gut and forcing the air out of her lungs. She blinked up, trying to catch her breath when she saw Akane's fist racing towards her. She tilted her head to the side at the last second and let the girl's hand smash into the ground with enough force to cave a small crater beneath them. The red head's legs wrapped around her ex's waist and flipped the girl backwards over her head and came up sitting on the girl's chest before Akane could blink. Akane threw another punch, that Ranma caught and pinned both arms to the ground.

They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity, glaring stubbornly back and forth at each other, and Ranma could see in Akane's eyes that she was searching for an escape, for a way to win, but now that she had her, Ranma wasn't going to give her another chance.

'Give up Akane!'

The dark haired girl clenched her jaw, eyes seething, but as she was about to respond, another voice cut her off.

'That's enough,' Cologne announced.

And like that both girls relaxed, the tension flooding from their muscles. Ranma fell backwards on her butt, panting heavily as the exertion from the training session caught up to her. Akane sagged against the ground, panting just as heavily as she stared up at the canopy above and the beams of sunlight. Finally Ranma held her hand out, and after taking a second to catch her breath, Akane accepted the offering and was pulled into a sitting position.

Soon they were all heading back to the camp site, all of them looking worn out, exhausted and dragging their asses, save for Mousse who wasn't so much participating in the sessions as he was just getting in the way. It had been several days since they had left urban civilization behind, and every day since had been spent sparring every morning and late afternoon. It had been largely Cologne's idea, explaining that if they were going to learn a fighting style to beat Happosai then they - and she meant primarily the four girls, since it was only meant to be learnable by women - needed to be at the top of their game. Ranma had arrogantly assumed that the training was for the other's benefit, but after a few sessions she was starting to realize just how out shape had started to come. Sure she still maintained her awesome figure, but she was feeling the training sessions with a vengeance afterwards, almost like she was a novice all over again.

Now she was grateful for it.

When they arrived back at the camp, the girls collapsed on to the logs around the roaring camp fire, where Ryoga was waiting with fresh cantinas of water for them. For the first time Ranma noticed the sky starting to darken, and a nip in the air getting stronger; she leant closer to the fire, rubbing her hands together before crossing them across her chest, ignoring the throbbing aches and bruises. She glanced around the others, seeing her weariness mirrored in their eyes. Bringing Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane along had been Cologne's idea too, explaining that if this reported fighting style was a way to beat Happosai than it wouldn't hurt to have extra fighters that knew how to do it too. Ranma agreed, however reluctantly that that was true, and they had just as much right to get the chance to kick the old goats ass.

Even still, things were still tense between her and Akane.

Teaming up against the Guardian had helped to smooth out a few wrinkles between them, but things were still raw and they'd hadn't really spoken about it since that night at the Nekohanten. Of course that didn't mean the others hadn't given up on trying to get them to talk to each other. Ryoga, Ukyo, Cologne, her mother, even Shampoo and Mousse had urged her to and she suspected Akane was getting the exact same advice too.

Ranma sighed.

They just couldn't mind their own business.

'You all did well today,' Cologne told them, a note of pride hanging on the edge of her tone as she observed them. 'You've all earned a well deserved rest. That doesn't mean we won't be leaving early again though.'

All at once the four of them groaned, loudly and pointedly.

'Oh stop that,' Cologne admonished with a chuckle. 'You all did good, but you still have much to improve upon,' she turned to Shampoo and Ukyo. 'Great granddaughter, you attack without thought, relying on brute strength when you should use your head. Ukyo, you are great fighter but you're easily surprised by unexpected attacks and against someone like Happosai that can be a mistake you won't get a chance to make twice.' Now she turned to Akane. 'Your skills have improved greatly child but your reflexes are still too slow, we will need to work on that.'

Then she surprised Ranma by turning to look straight at her with calm consideration, but troubled eyes.

'What?' the red head demanded, trying not to sound shocked.

Cologne stared thoughtfully for a few seconds more before replying. 'Ranma your skills are impressive as always, but you are distracted and your concentration leaves much to be desired. You're leaving yourself open to attacks that you are more than able of defending against. If you plan on fighting Happosai, this is something you will have to overcome first before you face him. You'll need to do better.'

Silence followed as the others looked at Ranma expectantly, but she didn't bother to argue the matter; Cologne was right. She'd had a lot on her mind, aside from the stuff with Akane and the task ahead of them.

'You'll have to do _a lot _better.'

Ranma frowned, the muscles in her neck tightening as her jaw clenched painfully tight. She glared over her shoulder at Tetsuya with seething cold fire blazing in her eyes.

'At least I don't have to rely on a stupid magic rock to make me a better fighter!' she hissed venomously. Then, without giving him a chance to respond she got up and started off in an abrupt huff. 'I'm going for a walk.'

In her haste she missed the Guardian flinch at the three identical frosty, withering looks he got from Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo.

** ~O~**

Ranma didn't even slow as she made her way into the forest. This was how it had been since they left Nerima. Despite her best efforts to push all of the crap with the Guardian out of her mind in the interest of maintaining their delicate truce, Tetsuya continued to push and provoke her with his smart ass comments, testing her patience to its limit and frankly she was absolutely sick of it. The rational part of her understood that he was still pissed at her for pushing him into the boiling lake, and that was understandable, but for crying out loud he was digging at her last nerve!

She tried to ignore him, tried to focus on her own stuff but he just kept getting under her skin, like he wanted her to have a melt down and attack him. As satisfying as it would be to beat the ever loving crap out of him again, it was all she could do stop herself from doing just that. The thing that helped the most was knowing that it would only give him the satisfaction of knowing he had won, and she wasn't going to let that happen. More than anything though his presence was a constant reminder of the upheaval her life had been through recently, how much she had been through and how far she had come. More irritating was that Tetsuya got enough satisfaction from knowing that she had suffered from the "punishment" he had given her.

The red head paused, frowning slightly.

Knowing the Guardian's name really took something away from his image. Made him more real, more of a person than the enigmatic figure that had trounced both her and Ryoga.

She shook her head and continued on, pushing the bastard from her mind. There was enough to worry about with this mysterious fighting style hanging over her head and the inevitable confrontation they would have with Happosai soon. She could only hope that this fighting style was going to be enough to give her an edge over the super charged perverted old goat. The only saving grace was that part of her revelled in being on a journey again after so long, and the prospect of learning new techniques made her think of the good old days when things were so much simpler. It made her feel... well it made her feel normal for a change...

The last few months had been all about picking up the pieces of her life and making peace with what had happened to her.

This journey was a refreshing change.

She just wished it had been under different circumstances.

The red head glanced back towards the way she had come as she came to a stop to collect her thoughts and calm down. She found herself wishing it was just her and Ryoga; a thought that caused her cheeks to burn as she blushed furiously and turn away with a near comical shake of her head.

She scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander like that as she found a tree to sit under; though who could blame her really? They'd barely had anytime to themselves since leaving Nerima, and frankly it was starting to annoy her. It wasn't that she _wanted_ to be alone with him for any of the reasons that the others would playfully tease her about, it was just that even with the progress she had made in coming to terms with everything, she still felt weird being anything that even remotely resembled being a couple with him while she was around three girls that had wanted to marry her, and whom she had used to have to practically beat away with a stick on a daily basis...well maybe not Akane in that regard, but it was still weird...

Was it too much to ask though? Was she being absurd? It just felt like it had been forever since their date and they were stuck in some sort of holding pattern waiting to see what was going to happen next. It was no secret that neither of them were exactly good at the relationship thing even under normal circumstances, but they hadn't really talked much about things between them, mostly because the whole Akane situation had kind of thrown a wrench in the works; then there was the Guardian and his goons showing up and complicating things even further! As much as she wanted to beat the crap out of Happosai and Tetsuya, she really just wanted to get this over and done with so they could get back on track...

Ranma sighed heavily.

She didn't want to think that she was turning all mushy, but the simple truth was that she couldn't deny that being around Ryoga made her feel... comfortable, in some odd way that she didn't quite understand, and part of her wanted to be able to enjoy that without an audience of interfering ex-fiancée's teasing her from the sidelines! The red head couldn't help but smile though; another part of her took pride in the fact that she kept catching him staring at her, "checking her out" when he thought she wouldn't notice, which she did and which would then cause him to look away blushing. Of course she pretended not to notice this, although that was only so she could use it against him later and see him panic!

The red head glanced upwards at the sky through the trees and saw that it was nearly black with night, an ocean of stars starting to appear across it. Ranma stifled another sigh as she climbed to her feet and pushed all of the "girly crap" that was plaguing her to the back of her mind; she had to get back before the others decided to sent out a search party for her.

**~oOo~**

By the time Ranma returned, dinner was ready.

Ryoga quietly observed the red head from the opposite side of the fire, trying to mask the concern he felt as he watched her. She made herself comfortable on the same log as Akane, shooting the briefest of glances towards the other girl that was quickly covered up. A few seconds later Akane handed the red head a steaming bowl of stew and rice with a seemingly indifferent gesture, like it was something she did all the time and nothing more. Ryoga couldn't help but smile slightly; it was good to see the two of them trying to make peace with each other... even if it was in their own excruciatingly slow way...

Things between himself and Akane were still strained too, but where she had previously looked at him with pure uncompromising rage, she now looked at him with a mixture of rage tempered by a conflict of compassion and pity now that she knew the reason for never telling her the truth. He didn't regret opening up about his feelings about his curse, though it was the most brutally honest he had ever been with anyone about just how much his curse weighed on him.

It was liberating in its own way, and he liked to think that she knew him better for it, or at the very least understood him... he was thankful he would never have to be that honest with Ranma, more than that he knew she would never need him to be that honest and opened with her; she better than anyone knew what it was like to live with a curse, even if hers hadn't been as inconvenient as his own.

His concern though wasn't about Ranma and Akane though, they would find a way to make peace eventually so long as they didn't let their pride get in the damn way of it. No, his concern was the tension between Ranma and the Guardian. He had been watching her struggle for days to deal with Tetsuya, whose constant digging and provocations were grinding her last nerve. He had to admit he admired her self-restraint. As it was, he was struggling not to break the son of a bitch's face with his bare fists for being such a damn antagonistic ass to her. It was only the fact that Ranma would chew _his_ ass off for being all macho and over protective if he tried.

All he could do was sit back and let her deal with it, just the way she wanted it. As much as it pained him to do so.

It was obvious though, at least to him that she had something more on her mind that just her constant squabbling with the Guardian. Part of him was convinced though that she knew that he knew something was up, but she had managed to avoid giving him the chance to ask her what was wrong. He knew it was part of the reason she had been so distracted during her sparring matches with the others.

Ryoga sighed; being Ranma's boyfriend wasn't easy...

The teenager blinked at that thought, thinking how weird that sounded even in his head. He couldn't help but wonder though if that was what they now; they had gone on a date, that they had both enjoyed themselves on... and they had both agreed they wanted to go on another one... so wasn't that more or less being in a relationship...?

Without warning a bowl was shoved under his nose, startling him from his thoughts with a flinch.

He looked up to see Ukyo smirking down at him.

'Thanks...' he accepted the bowl gratefully, inwardly scolding himself for zoning out.

Ukyo sat down next to him with her own bowl, and whispered. 'And here I thought it was adorable when you used to get all flustered and nervous around Akane... but this is so much cuter, sugar.'

Ryoga nearly choked on the spoonful piping hot stew, his face going bright crimson and catching the attention of the others around the camp fire for a few seconds before they lost interest in his spluttering. Ukyo chuckled mercilessly, and patted him on the back, despite the glare he shot her.

'Tetsuya, there's something I've been wondering about that I was hoping you could answer for me,' Akane said suddenly, catching them all by surprise as they looked up from their meals at her like she had grown a second head; but she ignored it, looking as though she was swallowing something bad tasting.

The Guardian eyed her somewhat suspiciously. 'And what pray tell would that be, fiery one?'

Even Ranma smirked a little at Tetsuya's nickname for the young Tendo, even as the dark haired girl's eye twitched in distaste.

'I was wondering about your transformation,' she explained finally as she picked absently at her meal. 'It's not a Jusenkyo curse otherwise you would have needed water to transform the way you did. So, I was just wondering if you could tell us what it was that you did to do that?'

The rest of them all turned their attention to Tetsuya. Ryoga had to admit he hadn't given it much thought, perhaps he had simply become jaded to all the weird stuff he had encountered since falling in the spring at Jusenkyo. Akane raised a valid question though and now that she had he was curious as well.

'There's no big secret to it. My transformation is a product of Jusenkyo. At least partially,' he replied and didn't seem all that surprised when they all looked at him in confusion. 'About five hundred years ago, give or take a decade or two, one my ancestors bathed in one of the springs. The spring of drowned bear. Why he did so has long since been forgotten as the story was passed down through my family, but since him, the power of the Bear has been passed through my family's bloodline in the same manner that those of the Musk pass on traits of animals through theirs. However, due to my family's unique heritage it allowed them to transform at will.' then he frowned in annoyance. 'Unfortunately that ridiculous self appointed Preservation Society got it in their head that all people that bath in the springs can do the same with enough motivation, despite my ancestors attempts to convince those idiots that this was not the case...'

'Wait! You're family is responsible for those lunatics torturing people!?' Ranma demanded shrilly. 'Do you know the sort of crap they've done?'

'They had already been around for nearly as long as we had been protecting the jewel,' he explained. 'Truth is my family had no idea when the Preservation Society appeared, only that they did. There isn't match written about them, only that they are a nuisance to anyone they come across... and they're worse than damn cockroaches to get rid of.'

'Tell us about it,' Ranma grumbled darkly.

'Anyway back to the original question,' Tetsuya replied before downing a spoonful of stew and rice. 'As the years passed and new generations were born, the power of the Bear started to fade until we couldn't access it on our own anymore... which is why we've used the jewel to access the power within ourselves and bring it out in case of emergencies.'

Akane frowned. 'But you don't have the jewel, so how did you transform at Ranma's place without it?'

'Which is why all Guardians of the Jewel wear this,' he reached into his gi, and fished out a pendant hanging from a piece of leather cord around his neck. 'A sliver of the Jewel that was separated from the whole a long time ago. With this sliver we can channel just enough energy to transform. But, I can only transform a fraction of the way, unlike the form that Ranma and Ryoga faced when they tried to steal the jewel.' He frowned though. 'Using the power of the jewel to funnel its energy through yourself is dangerous though.'

'Because of the weather thing?' Ryoga asked.

'Yes and no,' the Guardian appeared troubled as he hesitated. 'The Jewel can have adverse side effects on the human body. It can have a corrupting effect on an emotional and mental level, depending on the person using it. Having that kind of energy flowing through them tends to enhance a person's negative qualities though, affecting their personalities. For me, when I use it, it amplifies the nature of the beast inside me, the primal animal instinct of the Bear and it's hard not to lose yourself in the power it gives you, which is why I try to resist using it unless I need to. For someone like Happosai I can only imagine the effect it'll have on him.'

Silence fell on the camp as the rest of them exchanged worried glances. They all remembered the way Happosai had been acting when he returned to Nerima and how insufferable he had been, like he had just been given a jolt of pure life. It had been disturbing to say the least, but it was starting to make sense now.

'So that explains Happosai acting like Emperor of the Perverts,' Ranma shuddered noticeably, along with the rest of the girls.

Tetsuya nodded. 'Yes, and no doubt he was more aggressive than normal too right? I thought so. Not only does it amplify that kind of behaviour, it will start to affect his mental state, making him more volatile and unpredictable, as well as paranoid and irrational, which is why retrieving the jewel is so important. The more he uses it, the worse he'll get and be driven to keep using it, which will start causing more and more extreme weather anomalies around the globe.'

Ranma was the first to break the uneasy silence that followed. 'Why would you keep something that dangerous around? Why didn't your ancestors just destroy it when they had the chance before something like this could happen in the first place?'

The Guardian frowned seriously.

'That Jewel is one of the few artefacts to have survived from the time of the ancient ones, Saotome. You can't just destroy something that important, no matter how much danger it presents. It is one of those things that's worth protecting no matter what.'

'Even if it means innocent people may get hurt in the process because of your precious rock?' she demanded.

'Yes.' The resolve in his eyes didn't even waver as he met her steely gaze.

Perhaps sensing an argument about to erupt, Cologne wisely intervened before things could spiral out of control.

'You should all finish your meals and get some sleep soon,' the old woman announced calmly. 'We shall be leaving early again, and there will be more training tomorrow as well so you will need your energy.'

Tetsuya nodded. 'It is a wise idea. We shall reach our destination in a few more days at this rate.'

Ukyo frowned in confusion as she looked between Ranma and Ryoga. 'Wait, if we're making such great time getting there, then why did it take you two so long to get out here?'

Ryoga coughed uncomfortably.

Ranma cocked an eye brow as she glanced across the fire at him. 'Someone stubbornly insisted on taking charge and leading the way because they didn't trust me... and then we had to keep back tracking to find our way when that certain someone would walk us in the wrong direction and I would have to go off and find that certain someone whenever he would wonder off without warning.'

The other girls snickered slightly, causing Ryoga's ears to burn.

'You had the map!' he replied defensively.

'Because you can't follow them!' she snapped. 'So stop belly aching about it already.'

'Amazing,' Ukyo snorted in disbelief.

Ranma frowned. 'What is?'

'You two,' the chef replied. 'You've only been on one date and already you both sound like an old married couple!'

Ranma and Ryoga exchanged awkward looks and blushed, before burying looking away in embarrassment, while Ukyo and the other girls, along with Cologne and Mousse laughed.

**~oOo~**

Unlike the others, Akane was not used to sleeping outside.

It wasn't that she found it uncomfortable or anything, but she wasn't used to the silence of that came with it. Back home there was the sound of the urban life, even in the wards, the occasional car passing by, the rare late night arguments between couples and the myriad of other random noises that she had come to associate with the night. But, out here, miles and miles away from anything even remotely resembling basic civilization, all she could hear was the soft snores - and not too soft snores of a certain Chinese waitress - and the drone of insect activity.

So it wasn't surprising that the sudden sound of tent flaps being unzipped pierced her light sleep, despite her weary exhaustion and aches and pain.

She blinked groggily as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes with sleep fogged confusion as she looked around. By the time she got her brain working properly though and crawled to the entrance of her tent and peered outside, all she saw was the shadowy figure disappearing into the trees. Frowning, she didn't even think twice about following after whoever it was as she hurried from her tent into the forest.

It was so dark she could barely see two feet in front of her as she picked her way through the trees, treading carefully so as not to snap any twigs and alert whoever it was she was following. She could just make out the person up ahead, a shadow in the darkness distinguished only by the different shade of dark they cause in the night. Several times she lost sight of them - for all that meant since she was virtually blind as it was - as they moved amongst the trees. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she tried to ignore the wild scenarios running through her head. She had no idea who she was following. It could have been one of the others, unable to sleep or it could have been someone spying on them. For all she knew she could be following someone that would try to harm her.

She was an idiot, she thought... but it was too late to turn back now!

Minutes passed before she suddenly pushed through a dense grouping of bushes, and found herself standing in a small clearing that ended at the edge of a cliff that dropped off into darkness. Akane blinked in surprise, looking from side to side rapidly and turning in a full circle with growing confusion. There was no one there... she turned again, uncertainty worming its way into her mind; she was sure she had seen someone walking into the forest...didn't she?

She scratched the side of her head as she walked about in bewilderment... maybe she had imagined it?

With a frustrated sigh she shook her head and turned to head back, and found herself face to face with Ranma hanging upside down from a tree.

Akane screamed and fell backwards.

Ranma roared with laughter as she swung easily.

'That's not funny damn it!' Akane hissed.

The red head casually and easily flipped down into a crouch, meeting her gaze with a wide smirk. 'Yeah, it kinda was.'

Akane felt her face burn crimson as she climbed to her feet and brushed the dirt from her pajamas as best she could, huffing indignantly. 'What are you doing out here anyway?'

The other girl shrugged. 'I couldn't sleep. Decided to clear my head.'

Ranma walked past her to the edge of the cliff, stretching her arms above her head as she stared out into the darkness without another word, seemingly oblivious to Akane staring at her back. The uncomfortable silence was like an void yarning between them, a record of how much their falling out had driven them apart and as much as she was still angry about the whole thing, Akane didn't like it one bit. She didn't know what to say though. They hadn't been alone since the argument that had caused all this in the first place. She'd certainly had time to cool off in the time since discovering Ryoga's secret and since he had opened up to her and examine the bigger picture before her.

Yes, she was angry at them... but they were both so important to her. They had both been such big parts of her life since meeting them and when everything was said and done she didn't want to lose them. Fighting alongside Ranma to bring down the Guardian, it showed her how stupid she was being; stupid for fixating on one thing and ignoring everything else that they had all been through together. They had followed her all the way to China to save her from Kirin. They had fought to save her, her sisters, Ukyo and Shampoo from Toma and Ranma had sacrificed everything by destroying Toma's cursed spring... and then, again against Saffron they had risked everything again, including Jusenkyo itself to save her life and the idea that this was how it was all going to end, with them hating each other something so stupid... it left her feeling so cold inside.

'Did you want something?' Ranma asked without turning.

Akane chewed on her lower lip, hesitating as she searched for something to break the ice between them. 'Are you ok? I mean... you've been unusually quiet since we left Nerima...'

Ranma glanced back coldly.

'I'm sorry, I didn't realize being quiet was a crime.'

Akane frowned, stung by the red head's sarcastic remark.

'I was just...' she let herself trail off, suddenly wondering if this was such a good idea.

Ranma sighed suddenly. 'I've just got a lot on my mind at the moment.'

'Like what?'

Without looking at her, Ranma whispered softly. 'Yukino...'

Akane's eyes widened at the mention of that name. 'Why on earth are you thinking of that psycho?'

Silence followed as Akane stared at the red head, waiting for her to respond, for something reaction in her features, but after a while Ranma just shook her head with a humourless smile.

'It's nothing...' she replied calmly. '... Now, are you going to ask me what you really wanted to ask me?'

Akane shifted nervously on the spot. 'I... I was hoping... I was hoping we could talk... about us?'

The red head turned sharply with a sceptical look; at that moment she wasn't sure she could blame Ranma for that.

'By talk do you mean talk like adults?' Ranma asked as she turned to face her fully. "Or do you mean, throw around wild, untrue and hurtful accusations or do you mean talk as in try to pound me to death with one of these trees? Because if that's what you have in mind then, pass.'

Akane frowned; maybe she deserved that too but she could feel familiar irritations tugging at her patience. 'No, I just want to talk... look, we both said some stupid things to one another... some stupid hurtful things and neither of us really handled it as well as we could have... I just want to try and work things out between us... please?'

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but...' Ranma placed her hands on her hips, half frowning with a hint of annoyance. 'When _I _tried to apologise and wanted to work things out, _I _got called a liar and a coward and a pervert. Sound familiar?'

'Ok, I admit I was angry,' Akane flushed with embarrassment. 'And I may have been harsher than I should have been with you.'

'That's an understatement.'

Ok, now the red head was starting to piss her off. 'Oh don't you dare play the innocent little victim with me Ranma. In case you've forgotten, you said some pretty horrible things to me too.'

Ranma shook her head, a bitter expression in her eyes. 'In case _you've_ forgotten Akane, I tried to apologize. I tried to make amends for what happened, but you didn't want to hear it. All you wanted to do though was call me names and scream at me and act like nothing but a child... even though after everything we've been through together you should know me better than to think that I would purposefully keep Ryoga's secret from you just to hurt you. But no, you treated me like I was Kuno or Kodachi! And that's what hurt the most Akane!' Ranma met her eyes directly, filled with pain and anger. 'You had every right to be pissed, I accept that, I accepted that it was my fault for keeping his secret from you... but I really thought we were past all the this childish crap, all the baseless accusations and fighting with each other. Most importantly, I thought we were finally acting like real friends and not just two people that were forced to tolerate each other because our fathers wanted us to marry... but, if you could think so lowly of me, then I must have been truly stupid to think that.'

Akane stared at Ranma in shock, rooted in place by the hurt and sadness she saw well in the other girl's eyes, clouding those normally sparkling blue gems. The silence that stretched between them was excruciating, like it was tearing everything apart between them. Akane was speechless, she didn't know what to say; it was so rare for Ranma to bear her feelings so openly, let alone acknowledge when something hurt her. She wasn't used to this Ranma, the one that was steadily maturing into an adult and leaving the snarky smart ass teenager behind her. She knew if Ranma was able to turn back into her male form she would never have opened up like this in front of someone, would never have allowed herself to appear what she perceived as being weak; they would have just kept arguing, both of them too stubborn to give in, both determined to be right.

Things weren't like that anymore though...

Akane's voice was thick with emotion. 'I'm sorry for the things I said; I know you're none of those things and it was wrong for me to call you that stuff. I was so angry though and I'm still not happy about being kept in the dark... but I'm starting to understand why. I let my anger get the better of me like I always do and I just couldn't think straight... I just want to move on and put this behind us... I want us to be friends again...'

Ranma didn't say anything, she just stared back with an unreadable face, her eyes still little storms of pain and anger, her lips pursed together in a thin emotionless line. Akane felt the fear rising inside her, gripping at her heart; not a fear of Ranma or that she would attack her or anything like that... fear that the red head was going to tell her no, that she was going to tell her that she can't forgi-

'Oh for crying out loud!'

Ukyo suddenly stormed out from amongst the trees with Shampoo close behind her, the okonomiyaki chef looking furious and fed up as she strode towards the two of them.

'Would you two just make up already!' she snapped at them. 'The suspense is killing us!'

'How long have you two been spying on us for?!' Ranma demanded.

Ukyo clocked her over the back of the head with a small spatula. 'That's not important Ran-chan so don't go and try and change the subject. Now swallow that big fat ego of yours and tell Akane you're sorry too and let bygones be bygones!'

The red head bristled and pouted. 'Who asked you to butt your noses in? This hasn't got anything to do with either of you?!'

'No be like that,' Shampoo finally chimed in her bubbly type of way, all smiles and limitless energy. 'You and pervert girl put past behind you and be friends again. Shampoo know you want to.'

Akane's eye twitched. 'Pervert girl?! What's that suppose to mean?'

Shampoo just blinked blankly at her, as if she didn't understand the question.

'No,' Ukyo interrupted commandingly before an argument could break out. 'This has gone on long enough. You both said some stupid things to each other and you both regret it, blah, blah, blah. Now you two are going to go back to being good friends and you're both going to put all this nonsense behind you once and for all. Go on Ranma, the balls in your court.'

"Ukyo!'

'No buts Red!'

'Fine!' Ranma sighed, rolling her eyes as she feigned reluctance. 'I'm sorry too, for everything that happened...' then, after a few seconds of silence her eyes softened dramatically before she shifted her gaze to her feet. 'and... and I would like us... to be friends again... too...'

Akane smiled as she stared at the nervous red head, a sudden sense of relief lifting a heavy weight from her shoulders. Without giving it a second thought she wrapped her arms around the other girl and hugged her close. Ranma stiffened in shock and Akane knew she wasn't the hugging type but she didn't care. Slowly though, Ranma returned the hug with equal fierceness.

It felt good.

Ukyo beamed brightly. 'See, isn't that better? Now that we have that settled we can focus on what's important.'

'Like getting the crystal back and stopping Happosai?' Akane asked.

'No,' the chef shook her head with a snort, before turning to Ranma. 'To hell with Happosai, I wanna finally hear how your date with Ryoga went!'

In a flash Ranma's eyes widened and her face turned bright glowing crimson. She stepped back in alarm. 'Huh? What?'

'Oh don't play dumb with me Ran-chan,' Ukyo wagged her finger at the red head playfully. 'We've held off this long about grilling you, because of the whole mess between the two of you, but now that that's settled we want details Ranma Honey! And you aren't going anywhere until you do sugar.'

In that moment, it was obvious Ranma knew she couldn't escape.

**~oOo~**

Ryoga woke with a loud yawn, stretching his arms wide before letting them flop in his lap. He sat there for a moment, blinking the groggy blurriness from his eyes as his brain attempted to detach itself from the sticky webs of sleep clinging to his consciousness. His sleep hadn't been a pleasant one, too many dreams of being chased by the Jusenkyo Guide wanting to turn him into sweet and sour pork. He shuddered with the creeps, and shook his head vigorously.

He was never going to be rid of that damn nightmare!

After taking a few moments to collect himself, the teenager crawled out of the tent and climbed to his feet, stretching the kinks from his back and shoulders till he heard the satisfying pops. Despite his bare upper body Ryoga was impervious to the fresh morning chill as he gazed around the camp.

And then he caught sight of Ranma and Akane fighting.

The dark haired girl attacked the red head without hesitation, putting all her speed and power behind a series of punches and round house kicks that Ranma easily flipped and somersaulted around, before landing in a crouch and sweeping Akane's balancing leg out from under her. No sooner had she hit the ground though the girl was back on her feet, flipping up off her back and into a crouch. Ranma lashed out with another kick, only for Akane to catch her ankle and hoist her off the ground and slam her back into it. Both girls were going at it with fierce determination blazing in their eyes, blocking and dodging attacks flying at each other.

They looked like they were trying to kill each other!

He rushed forward to pull them apart, but before he could get more than three feet, Cologne's walking stick blocked his path.

'Just watch,' the old woman told him calmly.

The two girls moved like a well eyed machine, their bodies moving with perfect harmony. What's more, they were smiling. The fog of sleep on his still waking mind lifted and his vision became clearer. Despite the determination in their eyes they were actually smiling like they were on some sort of ride at a fun park. They looked like they were having fun, giggling.

It was disturbing...

'Did hell freeze over while I was asleep?'

Cologne smiled slightly. 'They reconciled during the night and this morning Ranma agreed to help Akane train like she had been promising too.'

'It wasn't easy either,' Ukyo explained from where she lounged against her travelling pack. 'Had to give Ranma a good whack on that head to knock some sense into her, but then again Ran-chan always has had a thick skull.'

Ryoga was suddenly overcame with a sense of relief as he watched them, watching them work together almost like it was a game. This was how they had been acting before Happosai had made his sudden return weeks ago and stirred up the chaotic storm. He just hoped this meant everything was going to start going back to normal again. Now they just needed to stop Happosai.

He glanced around and frowned. 'Where's Tetsuya?'

'Our _friend_, decided to go elsewhere when Ranma made a point of the fact that she was going to make as much noise as possible while he was trying to mediate,' she explained.

Ryoga cracked a smirk at that; she would do something that petty.

They kept at it for another half hour and not once did seem like they were running out of steam. It was like watching an elegant dance; or at least Ranma's patterns were. Akane on the other hand try as she might, wasn't naturally predisposed towards grace. It was still an impressive demonstration to watch though, even if Ranma was pulling her punches so as to give Akane a fighting chance, but only as much as she had to. She was making her former fiancée work for it without completely overwhelming her the way Ryoga knew Ranma was more than capable of doing if she really wanted to.

By the time they finished though, Akane was panting heavily with sweat dampening her cloths and trickling freely off her forehead. Ranma by comparison though covered in dirt was practically fresh as a daisy.

'You did very well, Akane,' Cologne congratulated her sincerely.

Between breaths the girl replied. 'Thanks.'

'Perhaps it might be best if we continue your training like this for a while so as to prepare you for whatever trials may be awaiting us at the end of this journey.'

An evil gleam shone across Ranma's eyes. 'I'm sure I could come up with some extremely intensive training routines to whip her into shape.'

Akane looked suddenly wearily at the mention of that.

Cologne to chuckle. 'I don't think we will need to go quite that far.'

Ryoga couldn't help but grin at Ranma's taunting. It wasn't lost on him though that four months ago he would have been jumping down Ranma's throat for even thinking about making Akane's life hard. Looking back now he couldn't believe how much of a jackass he had been, acting like a fool. It felt like a thousand years ago now, but that it hadn't really been that long ago made him shake his head. If only he could go back and tell himself to cut it out... or tell himself what was waiting for him...

He probably would have laughed arrogantly and brushed himself off as some kind of moronic imposter trying to trick him and then attacked like a wild boar... or run away screaming in horror...

It was probably a good thing he couldn't go back he realized.

The important thing was that things were going back to normal finally. Slowly, but steadily.

'I'm glad to see you two made up,' he told them.

Both girl's looked at him in silence, their faces unreadable expressions before Ranma whispered something in the other girl's ear. Akane snorted, her hand racing up to cover her mouth. Ryoga felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end; he didn't have a good feeling about this, not at all.

He cleared his throat nervously. 'What's so funny?'

'Oh, nothing at all' Ranma replied in that sly manner that meant just the exact opposite.

Akane snickered. 'Yeah, nothing at all, Charlotte.'

Ryoga's breath caught in his throat without warning, causing the raven haired teenager to choke and cough, his face turning bright red at the mention of that name. Both girls burst into a chime of laughter that rang like musical notes through the camp; under other circumstances it would have sounded beautiful. At that moment though memories of a ridiculous and tight pink collar trapped around his neck and an insane young girl trying to kidnap him, were flashing rapidly through his mind.

He shuddered; the horrors!

'What about that old couple that called him Master Porkchop and wanted to adopt him?' Ranma added, holding the laughter off just long enough before she grabbed her sides again and rejoin Akane, doubled over and laughing hard.

Even Ukyo and Shampoo joined in; even Mousse snorted, until Ryoga shot him a death glare that silenced the other boy.

'Aww, what's wrong Porkchop?' Ranma asked playfully, ignoring what would have otherwise been considered a cutesy nickname as she placed her hands on her hips. 'Feeling a little outnumbered all of a sudden huh? I think I could get used to it myself.'

Ryoga frowned helplessly at her.

'Alright,' the red head relented finally, though still grinning widely. 'We'll stop... for now at least. How about we spar a little while we wait for the asshat to return? Work out those kinks before we get going again?'

Ryoga blinked.

He couldn't remember the last time they sparred together, and with the way she had avoided being even remotely close over the last few days he couldn't mask the surprise that registered across his face as he stared at her. Once more he was struck by how she could leave him so utterly confused and off balanced. One minute she was off in her own little world, shutting herself off as much as she could and then all of a sudden she's all cheery and brimming with energy.

All he could do was nod dumbly.

They moved to where she had been practicing with Akane, and within seconds they were fighting. Ranma came at him with incredible speed without warning, faster than she had with Akane. In a split second Ryoga whipped his arm up, blocking her kick with his forearm and shrugging the dull thump he felt against it. She spun again, her heel landing in the palm of his hand before he hoisted her off the ground and hauled her into the air. The red head flipped end over end with a sharp yelp of surprise, but it passed quickly as she regained control and somersaulted backwards with her knees tucked against her chest. She landed against a tree, dozens of feet off the ground and hanging suspended for a second or two in crouch with her eyes narrowed determinedly. Suddenly she launched away from the tree and crashed straight into the unfazed boy. They tumbled backwards arms and legs entwined, then he kicked her off sending her flying away from him.

Ryoga flipped up at the same time she landed several feet away, none the worse for wear and grinning at him.

He couldn't help but crack a slight smile back at her.

'You're holding back.'

'I wouldn't want to hurt you,' she stuck her tongue out at him.

The two of them came at each other in a flurry of attacks that were blocked and parried away. It quickly became apparent to him though that she wasn't using even half of the impressive speed she was capable of, just as he wasn't even using half of his raw strength. For them this was just a dance. Back and forth they went, in perfect synchronicity. There was nothing planned, about it; this was entirely instinctual. Every now and then he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eyes as they moved around each other of the other girls watching in amazement; he wondered how this must look to them.

He knew it was hard for him to keep fighting while admiring the red head's elegant movements, watching her move with all the fluid grace of water and all its deadliness. Without a doubt, fighting was her natural element.

She looked beautiful.

For all her attempts to hide it though, he could see in her eyes that she was still troubled about something. Maybe she was even trying to convince herself that it was nothing, whatever it was that was on her mind. He wouldn't have been surprised, after all Ranma was too used to shouldering everything by herself. She wasn't used to confiding in anyone unless she had to.

Or, if she was given no other choice.

'Are you going to tell me what's wrong?' he asked calmly as she dodged around his punch.

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth though, she flinched and skipped backed suddenly, eying him wearily.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

He gave her a patient look as they started to circle each other. 'Ranma, I'm not Mousse. I'm not blind. You've been worried about something for days. So what's wrong?'

Her eye twitched and a frown flicked across her face. 'It's nothing. I'm just anxious to get this place alright?'

And like that, his bullshit meter shot right up.

When her fist flew at him he caught it in the palm of his hand with a iron like grip. She frowned and punched with her other fist, but he caught that one too without taking his eyes off her; he knew that if she had been trying she would never have let him catch those punches.

'Tell me,' he said again, softer this time.

Her frown deepened and her eyes softened dramatically before she looked down at her feet. He watched as her shoulders sagged with a heavy sigh and her arms weakened. He let her pull her fist away and waited with baited breath as she shifted nervously.

'Well... this is... embarrassing but I was wondering...' she suddenly clasped her hands in front of her and thrust her chest forward as she looked up at him with wide innocent eyes. 'Who's cuter? Me or Akane?'

Ryoga's eyes widened as he reeled backwards in shock. Akane choked on a mouthful of water where she was sitting as Ryoga's face turned bright red as he gazed down at her huge liquid blue eyes, feeling his heart catch in his throat as he gulped in a nervous fluster.

'I-I-I, um I mean, that is,' he struggled to string the sentence together, the words tangling in his throat before he could say them.

Then without warning Ranma punched him hard in the gut, doubling him forward before the world turned upside down as she dropped into a crouch and kicked his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard with a oomph and stared in shock at the blue sky above. Ranma squatted down on the balls of her feet behind his head and flicked him in the nose.

'Come on pork butt,' she grinned broadly. 'Did you really buy that act? Oh please Mr. Ryoga, tell me I'm cute!'

The red head batted her long lashes at him with her hands clasped together under her chin, before she suddenly burst with laughter as he stared up at her in blank confusion; then Akane walked up behind her and smacked her over the head with a water canteen, eliciting a yelp from the smaller girl.

'That was a dirty trick Ranma!' the dark haired girl scolded.

'Geez Akane! I was just having some fun!' the red head whined as she grabbed the back of her head. 'It's not like I fl- Uh oh!'

She jumped backwards at the last second as he tried to grab her ankle and missed by a hairs width. Ryoga flipped on to his feet and turned to face her, face red with embarrassment as he grounded his teeth.

'We're not finished yet!' he growled.

Ranma grinned cockily. 'Well you're gonna have to be faster than that if you wanna catch me, little piggy.'

Before he could blink she turned and bounded off into the forest, laughing the whole way until her giggles echoed eerily in her wake.

Ukyo shuddered. 'Well that's unsettling...'

'Damn it Ranma!' Ryoga bellowed as he chased after her, cursing inwardly in frustration. 'Come back here! This match isn't over you cheater!'

**~oOo~**

The tree's blurred around the red head as she dashed blindly into the forest with a wide grin stretched across her face. She navigated past branches that reached out to claw at her, managing to avoid all but a couple of scratches here and there. After several minutes though she came to a gradual halt. She looked back in the direction she had come from, half expecting Ryoga to come barrelling out of the tree's like a wild boar, but as the seconds turned to minutes she knew she had lost him... or he had ran in the opposite direction without realizing it...

Then the amusement dropped from her face.

She sagged back against a tree and sighed; why couldn't anyone ever just mind their own business for a change? Were her personal problems so interesting that everyone had to pester her about them? Why couldn't she just be left alone to work through them by herself for a while?

_'Probably because they might be able to offer a point of view you can't see because you're too close to the problem?'_ her irritating inner voice butted in.

Ranma rolled her eyes.

If she was ready to talk to anyone about it though she would have by now. She didn't need people nagging her before she was ready, and quite frankly she wasn't sure if this was something she could talk to Ryoga about anyway... She rubbed her eyes wearily. Instead of dealing with him like an adult though she just had reverted to old habits in the heat of the moment and probably pissed the great oaf off for tricking him.

'Good job, Saotome,' she muttered under her breath.

In her defence though, the look on his face _had_ been hilarious.

Needing some time to think before returning - and possibly having to go looking for him - she turned and headed further into the forest to clear her head and plan her next move.

Ranma only took a few steps before coming to an sudden stop again though, when she found herself staring at Tetsuya. Before she could stop herself, she ducked behind a large tree and spied around it silently. He was sitting beside a stream a couple of dozen feet away with his legs crossed and his eyes closed in meditation. She glared with distaste at the man, grounding her teeth slightly as she fought the urge to attack him while his guard was down. She squashed that idea though with great difficulty and instead stood there silently observing him.

The red head frowned; looking at him now it was suddenly apparent that this guy wasn't really that much older than her. He was maybe in his early twenties, but she could see where his duty as the Guardian had left him with premature crow's feet in the corners of his eyes, robbing him of what should have been a youthful gleam. To any outside observer the guy appeared to look any normal person, no one would guess he could turn into some sort of bear monster, or that he was the guardian of some magic jewel. He looked like a normal person really, nothing at all special looking. She could almost imagine him blending in anywhere, were it not for his unusual height.

For the first time she realized, she was seeing Tetsuya, the Person... not the Guardian, the man who almost destroyed her.

'Are you going to stop hiding like a child and come out?' he suddenly called.

Ranma felt her face flush at being caught out, but stepped out into the open with a frown. He glanced at her with the emotional coldness of a shark, something she had become well and truly used to over the last few days.

'We'll be ready to head out soon, if you're nearly done here,' she told him, trying to make it sound like he was holding them up.

He didn't both to glance up at her. 'I was just thinking of my brothers, and praying they are healing well after Happosai's attack. Many will probably never fight again thanks to that little monster.'

'Karma's a nasty bitch,' Ranma replied coolly.

She felt a surge of satisfaction when she watched his jaw clench and his closed eyes twitch as anger surged off him; but he didn't rise to the bait, much to her disappointment.

'Are you ever going to ask me what it is you want to?' he asked calmly.

Ranma huffed. 'What makes you think there's anything I would ever want to ask you of all people?'

'Because I've caught you looking at me like someone dying to ask a question but who is too scared to and frankly I'm getting sick of it. So ask what is that you want to know and get it over with.'

Ranma glared at him for the longest time, trying to decide whether or not she should kick him in his stupid little head for being such an intolerable ass. Instead though she sighed and nodded reluctantly. He gestured for her to sit. As she did - and somewhat hesitantly - she had a wave of guilt wash over her that she was about to talk to someone she hated more than anyone else about the same thing she had been avoiding talking to Ryoga about...

'There's some things I need to know... about the Jusenkyo Springs,' she explained anxiously. 'And, if you really are descended from the people that created the Springs, I figured you might be able to give me the answers I need...'

Tetsuya rubbed his chin in thought. 'I will try, but understand there is so much that has been lost to time. I might not have the exact answers that you want.'

She supposed that would have to be good enough.

'Ok... uh... a little context first...'

She stowed away her feelings with a couple of deep breaths, and started to recount her ordeal when she was kidnapped by the Preservation Society, detailing the things she suffered at Yukino's hand, from being tortured to being brain washed and nearly killing innocent Akari, to finally the weird dreamscape she had found herself in battling two aspects of herself. Much to her surprise, she found that she didn't feel quite the same anger or unease anymore when she thought back on what had happened; it was just another event in a long line of things that had happened to her and that which she had triumphed over. What really surprised her however, was that for the first time, Tetsuya showed what looked like smidgen of sympathy and possibly regret for what she had gone though... however the moment passed quickly and she pressed on...

'So, my what I want to know is... Yukino had this theory... she believed that everyone that fell into a cursed spring wasn't just cursed to change form, but was also affected by the personality of the person or thing that drowned there, like with the Spring of Drowned Buddhist Priest, only on a smaller scale. She believed that those personalities influenced how we act or think in our cursed form... and,' she paused to calm herself slightly. 'Well, I was wondering if that was true? Are the personalities of the drowned victims still there?'

Tetsuya smirked, obviously understanding the real question at hand.

She felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. 'Look, I'm not interested in you trying to goad me or any of that crap. I just want a straight answer. Are these feelings I've been having...are they mine... or are they some girl's who died over a thousand years ago?'

Ranma frowned impatiently as he closed his eyes in thought, weighing the question in his mind. She wondered if she could trust him to give her the real answer or if he was going to taunt her somehow.

Eventually though his eyes opened and he replied. 'This Yukino's theories are clouded with delusions and grief. Yes, there are some springs like the one you mentioned that affect personality, but that was the way they were made to be. The other springs do not cause personality changes. Yukino is simply ignoring one very important factor in her findings.'

She looked at him curiously, not understanding.

'The human factor,' he replied, as if it should have been apparent. 'As a species, we are extremely complex organisms, and our minds are even more so. They tend to work against us a lot of time, causing us to over think and fixate on specific things. As we go from childhood into adult hood we are exposed to so many things that affect and manipulate us. We are exposed to social moralities, right and wrong. Sometimes we take after our parents because its ingrained in our minds as we grow that thats how we should act and there for we do. We grow up believing things have to be a certain way and it takes a considerable amount of time and effort to retrain ourselves to see the world in a different way.'

Ranma couldn't help but frown. 'Ok, what does that have to do with the springs?'

Tetsuya rolled his eyes in mild exasperation. 'Well, how a person is raised, what they're exposed to growing up and how they eventually see the world can work against them when they fall into a spring. Especially an adult or approaching adulthood. When a person that can change forms is forced to remain in the one that isn't their original body, it can affect their minds. Their subconsciousness whispers how they should act because they honestly think thats how they should act. Someone thats forced to stay in the form of a dog for an extended period of time that person may start to lose themselves in that role. It might be hard to imagine if you only think of a couple of days or a week in terms of an extended period of time, but consider if that person spends a year as a dog... how would that affect them? Strong minds rebel constantly against this and weak minds start to buckle under the pressure of balancing their identity, while others choose to embrace it.'

Ranma couldn't help but think of her father; he made his panda form work for him, even if he did use it as an excuse to be nothing but a lazy layabout most of the time. Shampoo was no different and even Mousse, as much as he wanted to go back to normal had no trouble adapting to his Duck form when he needed to. She supposed that she was no different really, considering all the times she had used her curse to her advantage and the strides she had made since being trapped.

'So, the curse doesn't subtly control a person's actions or emotions?' it was more a rhetorical question.

Tetsuya shook his head regardless. 'No, your feelings for the boy are your own and no one else's.'

Ranma sighed lightly, allowing a small smile to form. 'Secretly I thought it might somehow be easier to move forward thinking that my emotions were being manipulated, at least then I would understand why I feel these things so strongly... but, you know I'm actually happy they aren't. I'm glad they're mind... how weird is that?'

'The human mind is a mysterious thing,' the man shrugged.

Then she frowned, more at herself than anything else. 'I shouldn't have let Yukino's crazy nonsense about the Jusenkyo curses get to me. I should know better by now. Everything she ever said was designed to manipulate and control and deceive.'

The Guardian glanced at her from the corner of his eyes with a serious look. 'What makes you think the Springs of Jusenkyo are curses?'

Ranma looked at him oddly, the confusion obvious in her eyes. 'What do you mean? Everyone calls them the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo. Even Cologne and Happosai call'em that! What else would they be?'

Tetsuya smiled; not in a arrogant sort of way, more in amusement than anything else. It was a disturbing look on him.

'A gift?' he suggested, much to Ranma's consternation. 'The idea that Jusenkyo springs are cursed, is something that people have come to believe over time and that really the only true curse involved is that unfortunate ability to attract cold and hot water when its most inconvenient. But really, is the ability to transform into something else such a terrible thing? Hadn't you ever wondered what it was like to be a bird? To soar the skies? Perhaps a something that can survive under water, or to even see with the eyes of tiger?'

She looked at him like he had grown a second head. He had caught her off guard with the question and she didn't know how to answer it. She had never really thought about it in those terms. Certainly she knew someone like Tsubasa would probably jump at the opportunity to jump in the Nyannichuan if given the chance.

'The truth is that Jusenkyo is all about perception,' Tetsuya continued. 'Typically though those that call the place cursed at those that fell in one of the springs by accident, but thats not a curse. Thats just unfortunate carelessness by those that mistakenly believe Jusenkyo to be a training ground and set themselves up to fall in and end up changing into something embarrassing or inconvenient. Only then do people believe the place to be cursed and use it as a punishment. I will admit that there are springs there that I believe were created to teach certain types of people humility, to temper out of control egos and perhaps to show that there is much more to who we are than what is on the outside. But, I do not believe the springs are curse... just lessons waiting to teach us.'

Ranma frowned. 'I guess I learnt that the hard way...'

Tetsuya glanced at her somewhat curiously. 'Has what I've done to you changed you for the better?'

That was another question she didn't really know how to answer.

Looking back on the last few months of her life she had been through almost every phase of the emotional spectrum. She had been forced to experience emotions that she would have normally ignored and forced to look at how she used to act and treat people. She had been forced to grow and let go of many preconceived ideas about how the world worked and her place in it. Despite the ups and downs her relationship with Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo was better than it ever had been. She was closer than she had ever been with her mother and been able to see other facets of her father that he had kept hidden from everyone...

Then there was Ryoga... and she was happy.

'I don't know if it's made me better,' she admitted honestly. 'I've had to face some hard truths about myself, stuff I wish I had learnt long ago, and then maybe I could have avoided a lot of stupid mistakes I made...' her shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh. 'For a while there I thought I was just going to wither and die from anger and grief. I just couldn't believe I could live like this. I didn't even want to try. I tried to push everyone away... but they never gave up on me... not once... and now here I am, four months later and I can't believe how far I've come...'

'Triumphing over adversity is one of our species greatest traits,' Tetsuya replied simply. 'We adapt when we need to.'

This time Ranma couldn't help but snort somewhat bitterly. 'Says someone that's never been stuck in another form.'

Tetsuya climbed to his feet and stared down at her.

'What if you didn't have to be?'

Ranma barely heard him as she stared at the trickling stream, listening to the tinkling of running water and enjoying its relaxing quality... then her eyes widened with a sharp intake of breath before she whipped her head around to meet his eyes. He stared at her seriously, with no hint that it was just a cruel joke in his emotionless gaze. She felt her entire body start to tremble; she didn't even realize she was shaking her head ever so slightly in disbelief.

Was it possible?

Tetsuya brushed some dirt from the legs of his pants. 'Think about it.'

And like that he walked off without another word, leaving the red head sitting there on the bank of the stream, shaking like a leaf and struggling to catch her breath. It felt like forever before she found the strength to climb to her feet and follow after him...

As she hurried into the forest, she failed to notice dark figure standing within the shadows of a massive old tree, watching her go silently...

Ryoga stepped out as he watched her disappear ahead, then his shoulders heaved a heavy sigh and his body sagged backwards against the tree...

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

..o:O:o.O.o:O:o..

A/N:

**Well I'm not going to pretend you didn't see that coming! **

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and there isn't much I'm going to justify doing. Akane's forgiving Ranma doesn't mean she's ok with them having kept P-chan's identity from her, it just means she's growing as a person and choosing to move past it because she values her friendship with both Ranma and Ryoga far more, it just took her a while to realize that. I tried not to make Ranma come off sounding to touchy feely during that part where she was explaining her hurt, it was to show more how much she's grown and how she's growing from a teenager into an adult and personally I think Ranma is as justified in her hurt as Akane is in her anger.**

**The additional information about the jewel was actually supposed to be in the last chapter, but in my haste to finish the chapter and get it uploaded, I forgot to add it in - looks away guiltily - so I had to insert it into this chapter. This information was to show that Happosai's out of character, or rather his exaggerated behaviour way back in chapter 25: Forward! was in fact intentional. As much as I hate Happosai as a character, he's annoying as all hell and an evil little bastard but despite all that I know he has his limits on what he would do. I still standby my belief that Happosai would have blood on his hands from long ago, from a different time, but thats my own personal view of his character.**

**Speaking of Happosai and by extension Cologne, I go by the anime standard where their ages are concerned. I know their manga ages probably sound more reasonable, but for some reason I love the idea of them being between 400 and 350 years old. I think it adds more mystique to their characters. I tend to mash elements from both the manga and the anime though. For those that are wondering though, Manga continuity takes primary continuity, but I've modified it with elements from the anime, such as including anime only characters or events, such as Ranma battling Cologne at the ski resort for the Phoenix Pill instead of the Beach battle.**

**Anyway, I'm not gonna drone on about anything, either you liked it or you didn't and there's not much I can do about that. I've currently got chapters 31 and 32 completely planned out and about three more chapters to go after that plus an epilogue.**

**To stay up to date on the progress of the story, remember to join the facebook page I set up at the link below. Just remove the spaces.**

** www . facebook pages / Rivyn-Daniel / 106781709490771**


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